Evidence of meeting #7 for Citizenship and Immigration in the 39th Parliament, 2nd Session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was iraqi.
A recording is available from Parliament.
4:10 p.m.
Liberal
Andrew Telegdi Liberal Kitchener—Waterloo, ON
So we're not making a huge dent in the numbers.
What I'm wondering about goes back to the Kosovo conflict. At the time the crisis arose, the government made a decision outside of the numbers and said we were going to open it up to...5,000, was it?
4:10 p.m.
Director, Operational Coordination, International Region, Department of Citizenship and Immigration
I believe the initial commitment was for 5,000, but I think a few more than that ultimately did come under that special program.
4:10 p.m.
Liberal
Andrew Telegdi Liberal Kitchener—Waterloo, ON
But I guess the point I want to underline is that the decision was made mid-term. It wasn't planned for. It was made when the--
4:10 p.m.
Director, Operational Coordination, International Region, Department of Citizenship and Immigration
The response to the outflow of people from Kosovo was certainly quite an extraordinary step. In fact, these were people who didn't come through the regular program of arriving as permanent residents in Canada. They came only with temporary status. Many of them did later regularize that status, but some didn't. Some returned home.
It was a decision that Canada took in consultation with the other members of NATO and within the UN to respond to the very extraordinary crisis that was occurring in Macedonia, a country that was on the point of civil disorder and collapse because of this massive influx of people out of Kosovo.
So a decision was taken collectively to evacuate for a temporary period of time these tens of thousands, even hundreds of thousands, of people. There was no long-term commitment to give them permanent refugee protection. That was something that was left to states to decide on their own how to handle.
4:10 p.m.
Liberal
Andrew Telegdi Liberal Kitchener—Waterloo, ON
But once Canada took that decision, the Kosovars decided whether they wanted to stay permanently or temporarily.
4:10 p.m.
Director, Operational Coordination, International Region, Department of Citizenship and Immigration
Canada gave that option to the people.
4:10 p.m.
Liberal
4:10 p.m.
Director, Operational Coordination, International Region, Department of Citizenship and Immigration
Yes.
4:10 p.m.
Liberal
Andrew Telegdi Liberal Kitchener—Waterloo, ON
What was the total number of Kosovar refugees involved at that time?
4:10 p.m.
Director, Operational Coordination, International Region, Department of Citizenship and Immigration
I don't remember the exact number, I'm afraid.
4:10 p.m.
Liberal
Andrew Telegdi Liberal Kitchener—Waterloo, ON
Maybe you could get us a number, because I want to look at the percentage.
But the point I want to underline for the committee is that the government had the capacity; the government can make those kinds of decisions irrespective of what the goals are for the year. The ones we took in were quite outside the numbers that were put in as the plan for the year. So I look forward to that one.
For those who might have been involved, there was very much community support right across the country to take in Kosovar refugees.
We hear a lot of frustration from NGOs and church groups in front of this committee that they are ready to sponsor a lot more refugees than the government allows them to. It seems to me that when you have one of these crises, we really should be much more open to private sponsorship.
I think that gives you an indication of the kind of support they have. Instead of trying to keep the numbers down, let the volunteer groups drive those numbers. We have a major disaster happening, with surrounding countries becoming totally destabilized because of the scope of the problem.
4:15 p.m.
Director General, Refugees Branch, Department of Citizenship and Immigration
The target for the PSR program has been raised two years in a row now--the upper end of the target last year and the lower end of the target for 2008. So that leaves some flexibility for an increased PSR program.
4:15 p.m.
Liberal
Jim Karygiannis Liberal Scarborough—Agincourt, ON
Mr. Scoffield, the department's website shows 20% to 30% per month, and all that stuff. On the government-sponsored refugees it shows 17 months. On the government website it says 80% in 22 months, and the private one is 80% in 22 months.
Can you provide some clarification? Is it for 17 months or 22 months?
4:15 p.m.
Conservative
The Chair Conservative Norman Doyle
That's from a previous question that was asked of Mr. Scoffield, so I will allow it to go.
Mr. Scoffield.
December 11th, 2007 / 4:15 p.m.
Director, Operational Coordination, International Region, Department of Citizenship and Immigration
The numbers I cited are based on the cases processed from January to November 30, 2007. I believe these are more up-to-date figures than what's presently available on the website.
4:15 p.m.
Liberal
Jim Karygiannis Liberal Scarborough—Agincourt, ON
So your figures are more up-to-date than the website?
4:15 p.m.
Director, Operational Coordination, International Region, Department of Citizenship and Immigration
The website is updated periodically throughout the year. This is for the 11 months from January to November.
4:15 p.m.
Bloc
Robert Carrier Bloc Alfred-Pellan, QC
Good afternoon.
Ms. Aucoin, in your presentation, you say that following a request made by the UNHCR, 500 additional recommendations were approved this year. Therefore, an additional effort has been made.
How does this additional effort made following the UNHCR's request compare with that of other countries? Have we done our part? Should some countries do more? I would like some clarification on this.
4:15 p.m.
Director General, Refugees Branch, Department of Citizenship and Immigration
Eighteen countries in the world have resettlement programs, and the vast majority of them have announced that they will be increasing their targets for Iraqi refugees in the year to come.
Obviously, the larger resettlement countries are the United States, Australia and Canada. Sweden has also made a special effort for Iraqi refugees. The entire international community is trying to do its part. We are also trying to convince other countries which, for now, do not have resettlement programs. We are trying to convince them to get involved in resettlement.
4:15 p.m.
Bloc
Robert Carrier Bloc Alfred-Pellan, QC
I believe that refugees residing temporarily in Iraq's neighbouring countries are going to benefit most from resettlement. What about the documents these people may have kept to prepare their files? Do they often find themselves in the difficult situation of being dispossessed of any information that could be used in preparing their application?
4:15 p.m.
Director, Operational Coordination, International Region, Department of Citizenship and Immigration
Mr. Chair, certainly we recognize that refugees are not like other immigrants. We can't expect them to have all the documents that would normally be required to process an immigration application.
Frankly, what's required is for the officer to believe that the person in fact has a fear of persecution if they were to return. So documents can sometimes be useful, certainly in establishing identity, but they're not normally crucial to that decision.