A Senate committee is calling on the federal government to welcome North Korean refugees fleeing the so-called Hermit Kingdom, a process it says is nearly impossible due to Canadian immigration rules.

The Senate committee on human rights tabled its revealing report on Monday, marking World Refugee Day. The study recommends that the government take short- and long-term steps to allow North Korean defectors to claim refugee status in Canada.

"Canada can become a haven for people fleeing North Korea in search of a peaceful life," Liberal Senator Jim Munson, the committee chair, told a news conference in Ottawa. "We ask that Canada show its commitment to human rights by showing compassion to these brave people."

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The report found that about 1,000 North Koreans flee the dictatorship each year. Most escape to China, where, if caught, they are repatriated to North Korea and face punishment, including imprisonment with forced labour. North Koreans are forced to live under the radar in China as they try to make their way by train, boat, bus or foot to Southeast Asian countries, such as South Korea or Thailand.

The number of North Korean refugee claims in Canada has fallen dramatically in recent years, from 720 in 2012 to none in 2015, according to the report. Conservative Senator Yonah Martin said the decrease in claims can be linked to the increasingly difficult path to Canada.

"The real path to Canada is actually quite narrow, if almost non-existent," Ms. Martin said.

In order for asylum seekers to claim refugee status in Canada, they cannot have access to protection in another country. North Koreans are entitled to automatic citizenship in South Korea, making it nearly impossible for them to claim refugee status in Canada.

Over the long term, the committee recommends Canada's Immigration and Refugee Protection Act be changed to create an exception to the definition of a refugee to allow North Korean defectors to qualify for refugee status. It cites U.S. legislation that says North Koreans' legal right to South Korean citizenship does not bar them from being eligible for refugee status.

In the meantime, the report called on Immigration Minister John McCallum to use his powers under Section 25 of the act to welcome vulnerable North Korean defectors to Canada. Section 25 allows the minister to grant permanent resident status to a refugee applicant on humanitarian and compassionate grounds.

Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada said it is currently reviewing the report's findings.

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The report also recommends that the Liberal government continue to closely monitor the situation in North Korea and advocate for North Korean human rights on the world stage, including the end of China's repatriation policy.

The committee made the findings after hearing from defectors, advocacy groups, a church, non-governmental organizations and federal government officials. Senators said they are still haunted by the powerful testimony, especially from defector Hyeonseo Lee.

"We grew up amid constant public executions in North Korea. I saw my first public execution when I was seven – a man who was hanging by his neck under a railroad bridge," Ms. Lee told the committee.

The scathing report comes as Canadian pastor Hyeon Soo Lim continues to languish in a North Korean labour camp. He was sentenced to life in prison with hard labour in December on charges of harming the dignity of the supreme leadership. Mr. Munson said Canada cannot remain silent as diplomatic talks concerning Mr. Lim's release continue.

"He has done nothing wrong," Mr. Munson said. "It's important as a society that Canada continues to speak with one voice, whether somebody is incarcerated or not."