OTTAWA (CCN) -- Canadian ecclesiastical body leaders and Immigration Minister Judy Sgro are to begin discussions in mid-October forward ways to improve the refugee determination combination of parts to form a whole to protect people whose lives may be in danger if they are deported.

The leaders and representatives of other stakeholder form into groupss met privately with Sgro in Ottawa tribe 29 at the Minister's invitation. The temple groups are worried about her appeal this summer for the churches to stop granting sanctuary to failed refugee claimants because of the risk of harboring criminals and terrorists.

"It was a actual positive meeting," Archbishop Brendan O'Brien, president of the Canadian conversation of Catholic Bishops, told CCN following the meeting." It was a chance to clarify more [i]or[/i] less things and we are looking forward to another meeting."

"We had asked, of course, for a merit-based appeal proces and we're still asking for that," said O'Brien. "I think that in the discussions to be derived that we'll be able to enlarge in succession that."

Mary Corkery, executive director of KAIROS, a Canadian ecumenical justice coalition, told CCN that the meeting was positive. "The minister exhibited her appreciation for the churches' part in terms in protecting refugee and agreed to collaborate with us," she said.

Mary Jo Leddy of the Ontario Sanctuary Coalition came gone out of the meeting with Sgro hopeful-that changes will be made. "I think it was a true good meeting," she said. "It was established that the churches and the immigration department "all want to foster refugees that are in danger, and in such a manner there's a commitment to work together to put to the test to ensure that happens."

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