Citizenship and Immigration committee  It would probably be above a hundred.

Citizenship and Immigration committee  In 2006 we issued just under 113,000.

Citizenship and Immigration committee  In 2005, just under 100,000.

Citizenship and Immigration committee  These provisions would be available, but as the provisions of the bill lay out, officers would be required to interpret instructions that the minister would issue that would link specific circumstances—

Citizenship and Immigration committee  The bill could affect any temporary foreign worker who would apply.

Citizenship and Immigration committee  Thank you, Mr. Chair. My name is Les Linklater and I'm the Director General of the Immigration Branch of Citizenship and Immigration Canada. I would like to thank the committee for inviting me to speak to you today on Bill C-17, An Act to amend the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act, the IRPA.

Citizenship and Immigration committee  As I mentioned earlier, we do have the provisions for humanitarian and compassionate consideration, which is a class that is available to those who don't fit under any other application type and where the merits of their application are weighed on an individual case-by-case basis.

Citizenship and Immigration committee  Mr. Chair, to our understanding, that is factual information.

Citizenship and Immigration committee  Mr. Chair, I think under the current provisions of the act the ability to apply for permanent residence on humanitarian and compassionate grounds exists. It is meant as a category to provide an avenue for permanent residence for people who do not necessarily fit into any of the other categories outlined in the act or the regulations.

Citizenship and Immigration committee  Yes, Mr. Chair. When a humanitarian and compassionate application is made, there is no stay on the removal, and should a person come to the attention of CBSA, they may in fact be removed.

Citizenship and Immigration committee  Mr. Chair, under the current act, an individual who is in Canada can apply for humanitarian and compassionate reasons to remain in Canada as a permanent resident without leaving the country. If an individual is here and would like to apply as a skilled worker, for example, or as a provincial nominee, their application would normally need to be processed by one of our missions overseas.

Citizenship and Immigration committee  Mr. Chair, I believe the question around the legitimacy of the conflict in Iraq is beyond the purview of officials of Citizenship and Immigration Canada.

Citizenship and Immigration committee  Mr. Chair, from what we understand, looking back, most of the Americans who came to Canada during the Vietnam War did not come as refugees or as individuals seeking protection or status as convention refugees. Rather, they came as visitors, as conscientious objectors. Under the Immigration Act and regulations in place at the time, they were able, by and large, to apply for permanent residence from within Canada based on their personal attributes--their skills, their language ability, their education.

Citizenship and Immigration committee  Mr. Chair, from what I understand, most of these individuals were treated by the act that was enforced prior to 1978, and at that point there were opportunities for personal assessments to be made, based on professional attributes.

Citizenship and Immigration committee  Thank you, Mr. Chair. I am happy to be here today and I thank the honourable members of the committee for their interest in this issue. With me today is Micheline Aucoin, Director General of the Refugees Branch, also with Citizenship and Immigration Canada. I will begin today with some general comments and then address the events and considerations concerning the Hinzman and Hughey litigation.