I was born in Costa Rica. In 1971, I came to Canada.

I am a paralegal with eight years of experience in directly assisting refugee claimants in immigration and refugee law matters, including interviewing clients in their own language (Spanish, Italian and Portuguese), preparing clients’ documentation to be filed with the Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada (IRB) and Citizenship and Immigration Canada (CIC), doing country conditions and jurisprudence research, general hearing preparation and representing clients at CIC interviews.

From 1994 until August 2002, I worked at Legal Services Society with the Immigration and Refugee Law Clinic (IRLC). [In August 2002, the IRLC was closed permanently due to the provincial budget cuts].

In 1995, I created, a television program broadcasted in the multicultural channel 20, called “Conozca sus derechos y obligaciones legales” [Know your legal rights and obligations), I delivered this program until 1997. In 1996, I created a “drop in” service and summary advice clinic for low income people, hosted at the Spanish Catholic Mission Centre, providing summary advice, information, counseling and referral related to family issues, poverty and immigration law matters. I provided these services to the Latin American community and to members of other communities who came to the clinic. I delivered this program until 1998.

In 1989, I was appointed to the I.R.B., for a period of two years. In 1991, I was re-appointed two more terms, serving as an IRB Member for five years. I was responsible for evaluating and making decisions on refugee claims from all over the world and dealing with Canadian immigration and refugee matters and with International refugee law matters.

I am a Registered Social Worker with 17 years experience. I worked at MOSAIC with the Latin American, Italian and Portuguese communities, assisting new immigrants and refugees in the process of cultural shock and adaptation to the Canadian society. I provided counseling to youths and their families and to seniors. I provided one to one counseling to individuals and I organized and facilitated workshops in topics of relevant interest to the Latin American community.

I am a dynamic, articulate and well-informed professional with excellent knowledge of social issues, Canadian immigration and international refugee matters, family law and poverty law.

Further information and references are available upon request.

Yours truly,

Roxana Aune
Tel: (604)251-7621
information@roxanaune.ca