Sean Rehaag
@seanrehaag.bsky.social
Osgoode Hall Law School Professor | Refugee Law Lab Director | York University | https://osgoode.yorku.ca/rehaag | https://refugeelab.ca (he/him)🏳️🌈
Frustrating. Seems to happen every year when any big grant deadline approaches. It impacts not just those working at the last minute on those grants, but everyone working on any application. Any planned solutions @sshrc-crsh.canada.ca?
September 24, 2025 at 5:37 PM
Frustrating. Seems to happen every year when any big grant deadline approaches. It impacts not just those working at the last minute on those grants, but everyone working on any application. Any planned solutions @sshrc-crsh.canada.ca?
...and my a2aj.ca project released a working paper by @simonwallace.bsky.social and me about bulk access to Canadian legal data, the role of @canlii.bsky.social, & our new open-source alternative (a2aj.ca/canadian-legal-data)
Paper is here:
papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers....
Paper is here:
papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers....
September 16, 2025 at 4:31 PM
...and my a2aj.ca project released a working paper by @simonwallace.bsky.social and me about bulk access to Canadian legal data, the role of @canlii.bsky.social, & our new open-source alternative (a2aj.ca/canadian-legal-data)
Paper is here:
papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers....
Paper is here:
papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers....
A busy week...
My @refugeelab.ca released our report about tech and alternatives to immigration detention, co-authored by @danghez.bsky.social & @petramolnar.com, and co-published with @kaldorcentre.bsky.social and @idcoalition.bsky.social:
www.unsw.edu.au/content/dam/...
My @refugeelab.ca released our report about tech and alternatives to immigration detention, co-authored by @danghez.bsky.social & @petramolnar.com, and co-published with @kaldorcentre.bsky.social and @idcoalition.bsky.social:
www.unsw.edu.au/content/dam/...
September 16, 2025 at 4:31 PM
A busy week...
My @refugeelab.ca released our report about tech and alternatives to immigration detention, co-authored by @danghez.bsky.social & @petramolnar.com, and co-published with @kaldorcentre.bsky.social and @idcoalition.bsky.social:
www.unsw.edu.au/content/dam/...
My @refugeelab.ca released our report about tech and alternatives to immigration detention, co-authored by @danghez.bsky.social & @petramolnar.com, and co-published with @kaldorcentre.bsky.social and @idcoalition.bsky.social:
www.unsw.edu.au/content/dam/...
Hey Canadian JD students, and graduate students in any relevant discipline (including computer science, software engineering, data science):
Interested in $10,000 to build open-source access to justice tools?
a2aj.ca/student-inno...
Interested in $10,000 to build open-source access to justice tools?
a2aj.ca/student-inno...
September 8, 2025 at 5:42 PM
Hey Canadian JD students, and graduate students in any relevant discipline (including computer science, software engineering, data science):
Interested in $10,000 to build open-source access to justice tools?
a2aj.ca/student-inno...
Interested in $10,000 to build open-source access to justice tools?
a2aj.ca/student-inno...
Yeah, no thanks @lawandsociety.bsky.social
I mean, I love SF
But even if I was willing to spend $ in the US right now, travel to the US is not safe for anyone publicly critical of Trump -- which includes all law & society scholars who I would want to engage with
I mean, I love SF
But even if I was willing to spend $ in the US right now, travel to the US is not safe for anyone publicly critical of Trump -- which includes all law & society scholars who I would want to engage with
September 2, 2025 at 5:55 PM
Yeah, no thanks @lawandsociety.bsky.social
I mean, I love SF
But even if I was willing to spend $ in the US right now, travel to the US is not safe for anyone publicly critical of Trump -- which includes all law & society scholars who I would want to engage with
I mean, I love SF
But even if I was willing to spend $ in the US right now, travel to the US is not safe for anyone publicly critical of Trump -- which includes all law & society scholars who I would want to engage with
Edge case when parsing case SCC judgments:
In 8 SCR 474, Justice Strong (later Chief Justice Strong) wrote a judgment, "mislaid" it, and told the reporter just to report the case without the judgment:
www.canlii.org/en/ca/scc/do...
In 8 SCR 474, Justice Strong (later Chief Justice Strong) wrote a judgment, "mislaid" it, and told the reporter just to report the case without the judgment:
www.canlii.org/en/ca/scc/do...
August 14, 2025 at 3:57 PM
Edge case when parsing case SCC judgments:
In 8 SCR 474, Justice Strong (later Chief Justice Strong) wrote a judgment, "mislaid" it, and told the reporter just to report the case without the judgment:
www.canlii.org/en/ca/scc/do...
In 8 SCR 474, Justice Strong (later Chief Justice Strong) wrote a judgment, "mislaid" it, and told the reporter just to report the case without the judgment:
www.canlii.org/en/ca/scc/do...
Excellent new article involving an experiment in credibility assessments in trans refugee adjudication from folks at @mobileucph.bsky.social
Great job @astajarlner.bsky.social & Maya Ellen Hertz!
doi.org/10.3389/fhum...
Great job @astajarlner.bsky.social & Maya Ellen Hertz!
doi.org/10.3389/fhum...
August 13, 2025 at 2:28 PM
Excellent new article involving an experiment in credibility assessments in trans refugee adjudication from folks at @mobileucph.bsky.social
Great job @astajarlner.bsky.social & Maya Ellen Hertz!
doi.org/10.3389/fhum...
Great job @astajarlner.bsky.social & Maya Ellen Hertz!
doi.org/10.3389/fhum...
Delighted to share the news that the @refugeelab.ca has received a SSHRC Insight Grant to work on the use of technology at the Canada-US Border:
www.yorku.ca/yfile/2025/0...
www.yorku.ca/yfile/2025/0...
![Announcement with the following text:
The Refugee Law Lab at the Canada-US Border
The Refugee Law Lab is delighted to report that we have secured SSHRC Insight Grant funding to study the use of technology at the Canada-US Border. We will investigate border control technologies' human rights impacts, develop open-source AI tools for refugee advocacy, and maintain accessible legal datasets—empowering scholars, advocates, and migrants to challenge discriminatory practices at the Canada-US border.
[Logos: SSHRC, Refugee Law Lab, Osgoode Hall Law School, York University]](https://cdn.bsky.app/img/feed_thumbnail/plain/did:plc:7v5ioahjpvxy2mojphfxxtij/bafkreidfpvkmwghywtnpc5v43dh5mtucgsbnfp43ljcdxq2dwsxvukl3mi@jpeg)
July 31, 2025 at 4:03 PM
Delighted to share the news that the @refugeelab.ca has received a SSHRC Insight Grant to work on the use of technology at the Canada-US Border:
www.yorku.ca/yfile/2025/0...
www.yorku.ca/yfile/2025/0...
The @refugeelab.ca has released a Consultation Report about research priorities in response to Canada's controversial Bill C-2, the Strong Borders Act:
refugeelab.ca/publications...
refugeelab.ca/publications...
July 16, 2025 at 2:52 PM
The @refugeelab.ca has released a Consultation Report about research priorities in response to Canada's controversial Bill C-2, the Strong Borders Act:
refugeelab.ca/publications...
refugeelab.ca/publications...
Put up my pride flags today
June 8, 2025 at 3:00 PM
Put up my pride flags today
I put together this AI agent guest presentation for the Standing Committee on Teaching & Learning at @osgoodenews.bsky.social
Interesting to watch with a critical eye. How deep does the analysis go? What's missing? What biases are apparent?
www.youtube.com/watch?v=aoh0...
Interesting to watch with a critical eye. How deep does the analysis go? What's missing? What biases are apparent?
www.youtube.com/watch?v=aoh0...
June 5, 2025 at 2:24 PM
I put together this AI agent guest presentation for the Standing Committee on Teaching & Learning at @osgoodenews.bsky.social
Interesting to watch with a critical eye. How deep does the analysis go? What's missing? What biases are apparent?
www.youtube.com/watch?v=aoh0...
Interesting to watch with a critical eye. How deep does the analysis go? What's missing? What biases are apparent?
www.youtube.com/watch?v=aoh0...
Back from a few days off after a great workshop on Comparative & Transnational Insights into Asylum Under Pressure.
Now, on to grading and a large backlog of email -- sorry for anyone waiting for a response!
Now, on to grading and a large backlog of email -- sorry for anyone waiting for a response!
April 22, 2025 at 12:51 PM
Back from a few days off after a great workshop on Comparative & Transnational Insights into Asylum Under Pressure.
Now, on to grading and a large backlog of email -- sorry for anyone waiting for a response!
Now, on to grading and a large backlog of email -- sorry for anyone waiting for a response!
Was working today with a locally hosted reasoning language model to see how it performs in categorizing refugee law cases involving sexual orientation
At one point the model (a distilled version of qwq 32) got stuck in a bisexual angst loop as it was "thinking"...
At one point the model (a distilled version of qwq 32) got stuck in a bisexual angst loop as it was "thinking"...
![Image of this text [excerpted due to character limits]
<think>
Okay, let's tackle this question. The user wants me to categorize the refugee case based on the principal claimant's allegations regarding persecution due to sexual orientation or gender identity. [...]
Looking at the document provided, the case is about a claimant who claimed to be in a same-sex relationship and identified as a lesbian or bisexual. [...]
Now, looking at the categories: The options are 1 through 7. The claimant is a woman alleging persecution as a lesbian or bisexual. So, category 2 is "Lesbian woman" and 4 is "Bisexual/pansexual woman." Since she claimed both lesbian and bisexual identities, but the primary category here would be the one that covers both. However, the options are separate. Wait, the question says to pick the category that best describes the group she alleges. Since she's a woman claiming to be either lesbian or bisexual, the possible options are 2 or 4. The question is whether the primary claim is under lesbian (2) or bisexual (4). The document states the claimant alleged being a lesbian or bisexual. The categories are separate, so perhaps the answer includes both, but since we have to choose one, maybe the best fit is 2 and 4? Wait, but the options are mutually exclusive. Let me check again.
The claimant is a woman alleging she's a lesbian or bisexual. Since the categories are separate, but the question asks for the principal claimant's allegations. The claimant's primary assertion would fall under either 2 or 4. However, the question says "the principal claimant's allegations" so if she claimed both, but the categories are separate, perhaps the answer is [HIT MAX TOKENS, WITHOUT GETTING TO AN ANSWER]](https://cdn.bsky.app/img/feed_thumbnail/plain/did:plc:7v5ioahjpvxy2mojphfxxtij/bafkreicfibrcbwtc5i5qwu3dp5rasanfdq2ritvozkawiosgv3etnnwvsy@jpeg)
April 6, 2025 at 10:32 PM
Was working today with a locally hosted reasoning language model to see how it performs in categorizing refugee law cases involving sexual orientation
At one point the model (a distilled version of qwq 32) got stuck in a bisexual angst loop as it was "thinking"...
At one point the model (a distilled version of qwq 32) got stuck in a bisexual angst loop as it was "thinking"...
Super soirée hier à la Francophonie en fête avec Le Vent du Nord !
Had a great time last night at the Francophonie en Fête, with Le Vent du Nord!
Had a great time last night at the Francophonie en Fête, with Le Vent du Nord!
March 28, 2025 at 4:04 PM
Super soirée hier à la Francophonie en fête avec Le Vent du Nord !
Had a great time last night at the Francophonie en Fête, with Le Vent du Nord!
Had a great time last night at the Francophonie en Fête, with Le Vent du Nord!
There are lots of good reasons to be critical of Big Law.
But, given the news, I'd like to say:
I was a Summer Associate at Paul Weiss in New York in 2003, where, among other things, I worked to push back against the legal black hole that the US created in Guantanamo Bay
But, given the news, I'd like to say:
I was a Summer Associate at Paul Weiss in New York in 2003, where, among other things, I worked to push back against the legal black hole that the US created in Guantanamo Bay
March 16, 2025 at 12:22 PM
There are lots of good reasons to be critical of Big Law.
But, given the news, I'd like to say:
I was a Summer Associate at Paul Weiss in New York in 2003, where, among other things, I worked to push back against the legal black hole that the US created in Guantanamo Bay
But, given the news, I'd like to say:
I was a Summer Associate at Paul Weiss in New York in 2003, where, among other things, I worked to push back against the legal black hole that the US created in Guantanamo Bay
Some grant applications I recently submitted required Canadian "research security" processes
I'm not a fan of these processes
But if we are going to have them, why aren't partnerships with US government institutions considered to pose risks to "national and economic security"?
I'm not a fan of these processes
But if we are going to have them, why aren't partnerships with US government institutions considered to pose risks to "national and economic security"?
February 21, 2025 at 10:13 PM
Some grant applications I recently submitted required Canadian "research security" processes
I'm not a fan of these processes
But if we are going to have them, why aren't partnerships with US government institutions considered to pose risks to "national and economic security"?
I'm not a fan of these processes
But if we are going to have them, why aren't partnerships with US government institutions considered to pose risks to "national and economic security"?
Phew!
My @refugeelab.ca, along with amazing 30 co-aps & partners, sent off our SSHRC Partnership Grant to build an Algorithmic Justice for Refugees Research Network.
Many thanks to @osgoodenews.bsky.social and @crsyork.bsky.social for hosting this project.
Fingers crossed!
My @refugeelab.ca, along with amazing 30 co-aps & partners, sent off our SSHRC Partnership Grant to build an Algorithmic Justice for Refugees Research Network.
Many thanks to @osgoodenews.bsky.social and @crsyork.bsky.social for hosting this project.
Fingers crossed!
February 10, 2025 at 5:34 PM
Phew!
My @refugeelab.ca, along with amazing 30 co-aps & partners, sent off our SSHRC Partnership Grant to build an Algorithmic Justice for Refugees Research Network.
Many thanks to @osgoodenews.bsky.social and @crsyork.bsky.social for hosting this project.
Fingers crossed!
My @refugeelab.ca, along with amazing 30 co-aps & partners, sent off our SSHRC Partnership Grant to build an Algorithmic Justice for Refugees Research Network.
Many thanks to @osgoodenews.bsky.social and @crsyork.bsky.social for hosting this project.
Fingers crossed!
Grrrr.... Trying to finish up a SSHRC PG and to help partners/co-apps around the world navigate the clunky SSHRC application system and this is not helping!
February 4, 2025 at 1:18 PM
Grrrr.... Trying to finish up a SSHRC PG and to help partners/co-apps around the world navigate the clunky SSHRC application system and this is not helping!
Finished up grading for my @osgoodenews.bsky.social Refuge Law class today. Yay!
A few students got themselves in trouble with genAI hallucinations that made up citations
So with that in mind: here's what AI thinks I look like grading. I particularly like the typewriter
A few students got themselves in trouble with genAI hallucinations that made up citations
So with that in mind: here's what AI thinks I look like grading. I particularly like the typewriter
December 16, 2024 at 8:35 PM
Finished up grading for my @osgoodenews.bsky.social Refuge Law class today. Yay!
A few students got themselves in trouble with genAI hallucinations that made up citations
So with that in mind: here's what AI thinks I look like grading. I particularly like the typewriter
A few students got themselves in trouble with genAI hallucinations that made up citations
So with that in mind: here's what AI thinks I look like grading. I particularly like the typewriter
The @theglobeandmail.com editorial board needs to work on its mathematical literacy
They say 5% of claims were abandoned/withdrawn in 2015 vs 21% in 2024
Actually, it's 3.2% in 2015 vs 3.7% in 2024
Meanwhile, recognition rates have increased: 67.6% in 2015 vs 80.4% in 2024
They say 5% of claims were abandoned/withdrawn in 2015 vs 21% in 2024
Actually, it's 3.2% in 2015 vs 3.7% in 2024
Meanwhile, recognition rates have increased: 67.6% in 2015 vs 80.4% in 2024
![Image of a Globe and Mail editorial board article, with a F and an x in red ink
Title: The refugee crisis needs a new approach, not just more money
Excerpt:
[…] Unsurprisingly, the number of claims abandoned or withdrawn before being heard has surged in recent years, accounting for a larger proportion of a much bigger cohort. In 2015, only 5.5 per cent of cases were scrapped before the IRB could make a determination. So far in 2024, 21 per cent of cases have been abandoned or withdrawn by claimants.](https://cdn.bsky.app/img/feed_thumbnail/plain/did:plc:7v5ioahjpvxy2mojphfxxtij/bafkreihgq6yzvnuc3ugjv4virmeiz5bhjldacik64rh4cnz7pi7zfukgfq@jpeg)
December 12, 2024 at 12:56 PM
The @theglobeandmail.com editorial board needs to work on its mathematical literacy
They say 5% of claims were abandoned/withdrawn in 2015 vs 21% in 2024
Actually, it's 3.2% in 2015 vs 3.7% in 2024
Meanwhile, recognition rates have increased: 67.6% in 2015 vs 80.4% in 2024
They say 5% of claims were abandoned/withdrawn in 2015 vs 21% in 2024
Actually, it's 3.2% in 2015 vs 3.7% in 2024
Meanwhile, recognition rates have increased: 67.6% in 2015 vs 80.4% in 2024
Join the @refugeelawlab.bsky.social, the @citizenlab.ca and the @migrationtechmonitor.com for a conversation about migrant justice surveillance in the age of Trump 2.0 and beyond on December 19, 2024 at 12:00PM ET (online).
For further details & registration:
refugeelab.ca/event/migran...
For further details & registration:
refugeelab.ca/event/migran...
December 11, 2024 at 5:07 PM
Join the @refugeelawlab.bsky.social, the @citizenlab.ca and the @migrationtechmonitor.com for a conversation about migrant justice surveillance in the age of Trump 2.0 and beyond on December 19, 2024 at 12:00PM ET (online).
For further details & registration:
refugeelab.ca/event/migran...
For further details & registration:
refugeelab.ca/event/migran...
Congrats to @simonwallace.bsky.social for successfully defending his doctoral dissertation at @osgoodenews.bsky.social
Well done Dr. Wallace!
Thanks to committee members: @amysalyzyn.bsky.social, @sonialawprof.bsky.social, @penney.bsky.social, Benjamin Berger & Özgün Topak
Well done Dr. Wallace!
Thanks to committee members: @amysalyzyn.bsky.social, @sonialawprof.bsky.social, @penney.bsky.social, Benjamin Berger & Özgün Topak
December 10, 2024 at 2:50 PM
Congrats to @simonwallace.bsky.social for successfully defending his doctoral dissertation at @osgoodenews.bsky.social
Well done Dr. Wallace!
Thanks to committee members: @amysalyzyn.bsky.social, @sonialawprof.bsky.social, @penney.bsky.social, Benjamin Berger & Özgün Topak
Well done Dr. Wallace!
Thanks to committee members: @amysalyzyn.bsky.social, @sonialawprof.bsky.social, @penney.bsky.social, Benjamin Berger & Özgün Topak
Oh, look: The thing that Canadian immigration law experts said would happen, happened
Closing safe routes for asylum seekers doesn't reduce the number of asylum seekers. It increases irregular movement, enriches smugglers & puts lives at risk
www.theglobeandmail.com/politics/art...
Closing safe routes for asylum seekers doesn't reduce the number of asylum seekers. It increases irregular movement, enriches smugglers & puts lives at risk
www.theglobeandmail.com/politics/art...
![Image of excerpts from news article:
The Globe and Mail
Immigration department received intelligence about huge rise in clandestine US-Canada border crossings last year
[…] The CBSA briefing says that since the border crossing at Roxham Road in Quebec was closed in 2023, stopping people immediately claiming asylum with a change to the Safe Third Country Agreement with the U.S., there has been a big increase in people clandestinely crossing the border into Canada.
“Clandestine entry into Canada has grown exponentially since the implementation of the Additional Protocol (AP) to the Safe Third Country Agreement (STCA),” says the report entitled “Illicit Between the Ports (BTP) movements: April to September 2023.”
[…] The CBSA intelligence report sheds light on how foreign nationals from particular countries are crossing the border clandestinely from the U.S. into Canada.
It says “human smuggling services are extensive for clandestine entries” and that payments “for end to end services” range from $3,200 to $45,000. People crossing illegally use smuggling networks which vary in sophistication, it says, and the migrants using them are placed in vulnerable situations and often exploited. The routes used to smuggle people are “often very dangerous” and can result in “bodily harm and or death.”](https://cdn.bsky.app/img/feed_thumbnail/plain/did:plc:7v5ioahjpvxy2mojphfxxtij/bafkreieqv53zr7yenrjyexs4hyalcu7wacxsju6hgseixl5espjca55oba@jpeg)
December 9, 2024 at 1:13 PM
Oh, look: The thing that Canadian immigration law experts said would happen, happened
Closing safe routes for asylum seekers doesn't reduce the number of asylum seekers. It increases irregular movement, enriches smugglers & puts lives at risk
www.theglobeandmail.com/politics/art...
Closing safe routes for asylum seekers doesn't reduce the number of asylum seekers. It increases irregular movement, enriches smugglers & puts lives at risk
www.theglobeandmail.com/politics/art...
Finished up my Refugee Law course at @osgoodenews.bsky.social last night.
Left the students with a speech by the @fcjrefugeecentre.mastodon.social.ap.brid.gy's Francisco Rico-Martinez -- who is missed, but whose words still have the power to open hearts.
Left the students with a speech by the @fcjrefugeecentre.mastodon.social.ap.brid.gy's Francisco Rico-Martinez -- who is missed, but whose words still have the power to open hearts.
![Image of this text: I want to say thank you to Canada for one particular reason. I am a grandpa. If I didn’t come here. If Canada didn’t rescue me, that wouldn’t be possible. But the problem is that the program that saved my life is closed, and people are not coming – people who are at risk, people who were almost killed, and are not protected anymore. Canada is shutting down the door. How many people like me are dreaming to have a grandchild, and it’s not going to happen? […]
I am here, and we are here, representing people: newcomers, refugee claimants, non-status people, people that cross the border illegally and come to Canada, […] people who need your help […]. And our idea is to stand here and say: please help us. Not by giving us money, but by opening your hearts and your minds – that humanity is one, and a passport and a colour of the skin, doesn’t mean anything.
Francisco Rico-Martinez (1958-2021)
Former Co-Director, FCJ Refugee Centre
Former President, Canadian Council for Refugees](https://cdn.bsky.app/img/feed_thumbnail/plain/did:plc:7v5ioahjpvxy2mojphfxxtij/bafkreic4kvmcqdqspu3nlxnlhuixf3qq45ddsmwmjfkm2oxpvwt4mm2wwe@jpeg)
November 28, 2024 at 2:47 PM
Finished up my Refugee Law course at @osgoodenews.bsky.social last night.
Left the students with a speech by the @fcjrefugeecentre.mastodon.social.ap.brid.gy's Francisco Rico-Martinez -- who is missed, but whose words still have the power to open hearts.
Left the students with a speech by the @fcjrefugeecentre.mastodon.social.ap.brid.gy's Francisco Rico-Martinez -- who is missed, but whose words still have the power to open hearts.