Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
Thank you all for being here.
Mr. Chairman, since this is our last day of travelling in Canada, I immediately want to thank all the staff who have worked with us over these three weeks. I know there is still another group of witnesses, but I don't want to run the risk. All the members around this table know how important these people are and how important and fantastic their work is. I want the entire public to know that, when the Standing Committee on Citizenship and Immigration travels across Canada, it's much more than a few members who talk a lot. The real work is done by other people, and I want to emphasize that.
At the entrance, you met Kate and Nathalie, who handle logistics. They're the ones who must manage the very full orders of the day and the members' frequent changes of mind. In the interpretation cabin, there are Dagmar, Hélène and Paule. They are the voices of the Quebec members. It's thanks to them that the voice you're hearing right not is quite a bit more pleasant than mine. There are also, obviously, Penny and Sandra, our analysts. They record everything you give us and they'll present that mass of information to us in intelligible form. There's also Andrew, our clerk, whose work is important. In the back, on the controls, we have André, whose birthday it is today, and Stéphane. They ensure that everything runs well. I wanted to take a few minutes to recognize the work of those people.
Mr. Sutherland, I listened to your speech. I think you're right to recall that we must show compassion and never lose sight of the fact that we're dealing with human beings, not numbers or cases. I've known similar situations in my riding. You may know of the case of Abdelkader Belaouni, who has been in sanctuary in Pointe Saint-Charles for more than two years, nearly three years. Abdelkader is blind and comes from Algeria. When he came to Canada, he sought refugee status and dealt with a board member who rejected 98% of the applications submitted to him. I'm convinced that no Canadian would agree to appear before a judge who convicts 98% of the individuals who appear before him. Everyone would say that justice obviously was not done. Abdelkader's case shows that our system lacks sensitivity, because there is still no Refugee Appeals Division. Abdelkader, unlike any Canadian citizen, was unable to appeal from that decision, because the government, be it Liberal or Conservative, has always refused to establish a Refugee Appeals Division.
The Bloc Québécois introduced a bill on the subject. It was passed in the House, but is still moving slowly through the Senate. I hope the Liberals will pass it soon. Apart from that, there could have been a compassionate intervention by the minister. She could have used her powers and shown some compassion for a blind person who has literally been living in a prison for years, in an attempt to save his life. Action should have been taken.
Lastly, I've learned of the case of a woman who applied for a visa to come to Canada to pick up the remains of her husband who had died in Canada. Initially, her application was simply denied. They had to fight, intervene and go as far as the minister's office so that a woman could come and pick up the remains of her dead husband in Canada.
These are examples, but I wanted to thank you for reminding us that we have lost sight of the fact that we're dealing with human beings.
Do you want to add anything on the subject?