The Americas Chapter
The Americas Chapter was founded over two decades ago. It consists of countries in North, Central and South America, which are home to culturally and ethnographically diverse communities and peoples, including many Indigenous Peoples and nations. Migration and the issues it raises are central to these communities’ legal and political orders. Millions of people immigrate to, and migrate between, the countries in the Americas each year. This Chapter assists in addressing these issues, disseminating information, and fostering dialogue between its members and the rest of the Association, seeking to better understand how these nations may develop their migration systems and see their development in light of international migration law and fundamental human rights.
Americas Chapter President Justice Love Saint-Fleur
Justice Love Saint-Fleur was appointed Justice of the Canadian Federal Court, and ex officio member of the Federal Court of Appeal, on October 25, 2024. She holds a Bachelor of Laws (1995) from the Université de Montréal, an advanced studies diploma in international law and international organizations from the Paris 1 Panthéon-Sorbonne University (1999) and a master’s degree in international law (2006) from the Université du Québec à Montréal. She was called to the Barreau du Québec in 1997.
Justice Saint-Fleur is fluent in French, English, Haitian Creole, and Spanish. Prior to her appointment, her practice focused on international law and human rights. She worked for the federal agency Rights and Democracy, participating in the following United Nations bodies: the Commission on Human Rights, the Working Group on the Draft Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, and the Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues.
She has held decision-making positions with provincial and federal immigration departments: in 2012, she became a Board Member of the Refugee Protection Division of the Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada—the country’s largest administrative tribunal—where she trained new decision-makers. In 2019, she was appointed to the Refugee Appeal Division, where she served as a Coordinating Member. Over the course of her professional and academic career, she has earned several honours.
Justice Saint-Fleur worked as a legal expert for the United Nations International Civilian Support Mission in Haiti before joining the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees in Venezuela and Ecuador.