About 5CCW
About
The Five-Country Conference Watch is a unique international network consisting of academics, non-governmental representatives from five different countries whose immigration agencies have formed ‘the Five Country Conference‘. We are all professionals working within academia and the non-profit sector with the goal of internationally collaborating together on key refugee issues through research and practice. It is our intention to share experiences, best practices, studies and changes in each of our countries with respect to refugees and asylum-seekers in order to benefit researchers and practitioners, which would in return help refugees and asylum-seekers in five different countries. The ultimate goal is to foster collaboration, innovation and directed research on a range of refugee and asylum issues.
Background Information
The Five Country Conference (FCC) was created by the immigration agencies of Australia, Canada, New Zealand, United Kingdom, and the United States in order to discuss immigration matters relating to their own international borders that would assist in terms of “security, services, and savings“. Their purpose was to jointly manage the ‘types of travellers’ deemed worthy of migration into their countries. While we believe there are legitimate reasons for concerns around border security, we are also opposed to their definition of a ‘mala fide traveller‘ and the 5CCW group was born to ‘keep watch’, protect, and advocate on behalf of those who have unfairly been denied entry of access based on their status as a ‘mala fide traveller’ within those five countries.
Beyond the Border Action Plan (U.S./Canada)
According to Citizenship and Immigration Canada, Canada’s participation in the Five Country Conference supports implementation of the Beyond the Border Action Plan with the United States (2011), which articulates a “shared approach to security in which both countries work together to address threats within, at, and away from out borders.” (source)
Border Five (B5 Group)
Canadian Border Services Agency (CBSA) notes in the 2014/15 planning:
“In 2014–15 the CBSA will lead the development of a multiyear strategy that will guide the collaborative efforts of the B5 group (Australia, Canada, New Zealand, the United Kingdom and the U.S.) to the year 2020. Canada will assume the chair of the B5 beginning in July 2014. Similarly, in 2014 the Agency will co-chair with CIC the FCC, which brings together immigration authorities of the same five nations. This will include hosting the annual plenary session and the advancement of an FCC-wide traveller facilitation scheme.” (source)
Australia’s Involvement in the Border Five
The Australian Customs and Border Protection Service makes reference to the Border Five (B5) group on their website, noting their participation in the group will serve “to mitigate a range of potential threats and vulnerabilities in global cargo supply chains.” (source)
Country Impact Groups
The five countries that we work in are Australia, Canada, New Zealand, United Kingdom, and the United States.