Good day, Mr. Chairman.
My name is Michel Jobin. I'm from Quebec City. I have a university education: I have two undergraduate degrees, including one in law. I am also a member of the Quebec Bar Association. I worked in a private firm, then in public administration in Quebec, in a hospital. Then, I applied to become a member. I had an oral interview and a written interview in the winter of 1998. In September 1998, I was appointed by the government.
Both my colleague and I received training upon our arrival on legislation and the application of the relevant case law. Over the course of our eight years within the Immigration and Refugee Board, we have had continuous updating, and regular legal briefings. For example, when a new Immigration Act was passed, we had in-depth training on that legislation. We also have regular thematic training on the various countries.
The various members of the board are divided into geographic teams. So, in my case, when I arrived at the board, I worked on the Northern African and Middle Eastern team and, then, on the multidisciplinary team. This sounds quite technical, but it means that these are more complex cases, which require that the minister or his or her representative intervene. Sometimes, there are exclusions from the application of the act. Also, someone's status may be terminated or lost.
In short, this is what I have been doing in my eight years with the Immigration and Refugee Board. Those are the comments I wanted to make at the beginning of this meeting.
I am now available to answer any questions you may have.