Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
I would like to thank the Canadian Council for Refugees for appearing once again before our committee. I've had the opportunity to hear testimony from CCR representatives several times since being elected to office. I'm starting to think that no one is listening or stressing the need to welcome refugees. I've known many refugees over the years and I can honestly say that they have a strong desire to integrate into society in Quebec and throughout the rest of Canada.
Recently, the department has been sending us data on the number of persons waiting for a decision. What I find especially disheartening is that the number of people with applications on hold at certain offices, whether in Nairobi, Damas or Islamabad, has been growing over the years.
In the case of Islamabad, it is distressing to see that Afghan nationals applying for refugee status are being turned down on the grounds they do not qualify. My office has been looking into such cases for some time now. Canada could do considerably more to welcome these nationals, in view of the war currently raging in their homeland. These applicants are sponsored by groups or agencies and, as Ms. Simpson noted earlier, these groups are receiving financial support. Therefore, the cost of bringing these people to Canada would be lower.
I'd also like to talk about family reunification, still in relation to the same offices, namely those in Nairobi, Islamabad, Colombo and the Ivory Coast, which in recent years has been added to the list. What saddens me is that the committee had an opportunity to meet with these persons last May, in particular with a woman awaiting reunification with her children. Her eldest child died over the summer. Her remaining children are now here in Canada.
Like yourself, Mr. Chairman, we did everything we could to alert the local authorities. The process of reuniting this mother with her children took six years. The mother, who worked as a security guard, had witnessed the kidnapping of a child for the purposes of removing some vital organs. Initially, she believed the kidnapping was the work of a rebel group, but then discovered that it was part of an organized network. She suffered the consequences, namely the loss of one of her young sons.
A refugee's life is not always easy. When persons apply and have the support of their community, we must make the process as uncomplicated for them as we possibly can.
Previous governments as well as the one currently in power have promised to review the refugee determination system. Witnesses have repeatedly told the committee that the system was working, but needed to be improved on several levels. The CCR will have more to say about the decision-making process. However, regarding the appointment of IRB members, we will soon be facing a staff shortage, which will impact the quality of the decisions made.
Can the CCR tell us how long it takes for a member to get completely up to speed? I'd also like to hear its views on exclusions in so far as rejected applications are concerned. One good example is the outright rejection of an application of a person who is a police officer.
I'll have additional questions later, but for now, I'd like someone to explain to me how the decision-making process works and why people mistakenly believe that the current system has a safety net.