Evidence of meeting #16 for Citizenship and Immigration in the 39th Parliament, 2nd Session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was removal.
A recording is available from Parliament.
4:40 p.m.
Liberal
Jim Karygiannis Liberal Scarborough—Agincourt, ON
What if I were to tell you that in GTEC your enforcement time is anywhere between...less than a year on spousal applications?
4:40 p.m.
Director, Inland Enforcement, Canada Border Services Agency
Just for our pre-removal risk assessment alone, it takes a minimum of eight months. In GTEC, actually the processing times are somewhat higher.
4:40 p.m.
Director, Inland Enforcement, Canada Border Services Agency
PRA is the responsibility of the Department of Citizenship and Immigration. Our experience is that it takes about eight months.
4:40 p.m.
Director, Inland Enforcement, Canada Border Services Agency
For a PRA decision to be processed.
4:40 p.m.
Liberal
Jim Karygiannis Liberal Scarborough—Agincourt, ON
Then with the stuff I'm getting in Toronto, what you're telling me...either I'm not reading the faxes that I'm getting back from your offices right or I'm stupid. This is what you're telling me. And stupid I'm not, because I've been in this place for 20 years, much more than some people here combined.
What I'm getting from you in PRA is a month to two months. What I'm getting on GTEC is that from the time it goes in until the time you remove him, it's six months, a year tops. So either your offices in Toronto are not giving you the right information or I'm not reading the stuff right. For someone who's been here 20 years, six consecutive terms with whopping majorities, I don't think I'm stupid.
So please, I'm going to put the question again. From the time it enters GTEC until the time you kick him out, is it three years or is it one year? What is it?
4:40 p.m.
Director, Inland Enforcement, Canada Border Services Agency
It takes two to three years to remove a failed refugee claimant, and it takes less than one year to remove a high-priority person.
4:40 p.m.
Liberal
Jim Karygiannis Liberal Scarborough—Agincourt, ON
So a spousal application with two kids should take three years.
4:40 p.m.
Director, Inland Enforcement, Canada Border Services Agency
Well, unless the person is a high-priority removal.
4:45 p.m.
Director, Inland Enforcement, Canada Border Services Agency
Then you should expect it to take between two to three years.
4:45 p.m.
Liberal
Jim Karygiannis Liberal Scarborough—Agincourt, ON
If I were to tell you that this application went in there in October, and she's to be removed at the end of the month, March 30...with what you're telling me, your figures don't make any sense or don't match.
4:45 p.m.
Director, Inland Enforcement, Canada Border Services Agency
I can't talk about specific—
4:45 p.m.
Liberal
Jim Karygiannis Liberal Scarborough—Agincourt, ON
I will e-mail it to you, and then I want you to come back to this committee and tell me what it is, because what you're telling me is certainly making me want to pull my hair out. You're telling me it's three years from the time it goes to GTEC until the time they get out, you're telling me it's eight months for PRA, and I'm telling you that's not the right case. I'm telling you that what we're hearing on the ground is certainly a different case. So either you don't have your facts and figures or you're misleading us.
4:45 p.m.
Director, Inland Enforcement, Canada Border Services Agency
There are many factors that could have an impact on the time it takes to remove someone, but in general it takes two to three years for a non-high-priority person and less than one year for a high-priority case.
4:45 p.m.
Liberal
Jim Karygiannis Liberal Scarborough—Agincourt, ON
Spousal applications are not usually high priority, are they? By the fact that the majority of them, 90% of them, get to come back, they're not high priority, are they?
4:45 p.m.
Director, Inland Enforcement, Canada Border Services Agency
It depends on why the removal order was issued.
4:45 p.m.
Associate Assistant Deputy Minister, Operations, Department of Citizenship and Immigration
With all due respect, sir, I think there's a specific case that you have in mind.
4:45 p.m.
Liberal
4:45 p.m.
Associate Assistant Deputy Minister, Operations, Department of Citizenship and Immigration
If you could send the case to our department, we will look into the specifics of the case. We're clearly not in a position to sit here today and talk about the specifics of that case.
4:45 p.m.
Liberal
Jim Karygiannis Liberal Scarborough—Agincourt, ON
No, it's not a specific case. I have many cases of spouses, Canadian children, pregnant wives, and you went ahead and removed them. By the time it went to GTEC, by the time the PRA was done, the total was six months.
4:45 p.m.
Conservative
4:45 p.m.
Associate Assistant Deputy Minister, Operations, Department of Citizenship and Immigration
If an application under this class of spousal reunification had not already been submitted at the point at which they were notified of removal, they're not subject to the delay in removal. An application needs to be in before the enforcement action begins.
