In short, it comes down to administrative decisions. One person can decide one thing in one province, while another may come to a different decision in another province.
What truly surprised me about the Immigration and Refugee Board is that the same thing was happening several years ago. An individual applying for refugee status was treated a certain way in one city, but could be treated very differently in a city at the other end of the country. In a way, I can understand that it depends on how the act is interpreted. However, we're dealing here with administrative guidelines. These should not be interpreted so very differently in different parts of the country.
I realize that the Agency has only been in existence for four years. Do you think it would be possible to review this matter in the near future? You may not revisit this topic for five years and it is an important area. To my way of thinking, the same criteria should be applied across Canada. Of course, economic and other conditions may differ.
However, the legislation should be applied consistently everywhere in Canada, particularly in the case of people who have exhausted all other options. As lawmakers, what can we do to ensure that this happens?