Citizenship and Immigration Committee on May 6th, 2010

[Voices]

Oh, oh!

[Maurizio Bevilacqua, Liberal, Vaughan, ON]

The reason we sit here hour after hour is that we want input from people on how to improve the legislation. While you may in fact endorse the legislation—that is obviously your choice—we do really appreciate individuals who come here to also provide us with input that will improve the legislation.

While I understand that you're very supportive of the legislation, I would, as a member of this committee, appreciate your point of view on issues that require our attention for improvement.

[The Chair, Conservative, David Tilson]

Mr. Collacott, I think that question was directed to you, sir. Did you hear the question?

[Maurizio Bevilacqua, Liberal, Vaughan, ON]

It's for both.

[The Chair, Conservative, David Tilson]

We'll try Ms. Taub.

Go ahead, ma'am.

[Julie Taub]

Yes, of course, I would have several recommendations to improve it. One would be to deal with this issue of consultants. Victims spend hundreds of thousands of dollars on false promises and they get nowhere. That has always been a festering issue.

But I am not proposing that this bill not be passed because there's not enough.... But you're asking me for my opinion for improvements in general in the refugee system.

[Maurizio Bevilacqua, Liberal, Vaughan, ON]

That's right.

[Julie Taub]

I would also recommend looking into—I may be slightly off topic—the resettlement program. I have had clients who have come to me from Rwanda. I have had clients who have come to me from Afghanistan. They've come in through a resettlement program. They have said that while they greatly appreciate that the Government of Canada has resettled them as refugees in this country, why did it allow their persecutors, their murderers and their killers to come in with them? There is not enough research. Backgrounds are not looked into enough.

I had one such client this afternoon before I came here. She's a wonderful woman from Afghanistan. She and her siblings were accepted in 2006. They came in from Kyrgyzstan, where they had been resettled as refugees. When they came in, she recognized many members and supporters of the Taliban. She asked, “How is this possible?”

I don't know how it's possible, but it's not the first time I've heard of such a thing. If there can be an improvement for refugee determination, it is to look into the background of refugee claimants or those who are resettled, to look more thoroughly to see what their affiliation is so the murderers and the persecutors don't come to Canada with their victims.

[The Chair, Conservative, David Tilson]

Mr. Collacott, did you have some suggestions to improve the bill?

[Martin Collacott]

Nothing very broad, because I think there are some good elements there already.

I think having the first decision made by public servants makes good sense. There are pros and cons, but that is what is used in most countries. We still have an independent body for the appeal system.

I think it's absolutely necessary to have some kind of safe country of origin rule. That's not going to be easy to define exactly, but other countries do it, and I think we have to do it.

I'm not sure how well all of this is going to work. We'll have to review it if it doesn't work, but I think it's a first attempt at a comprehensive review in more than two decades, and I do commend the government for trying it. We'll have to see how it pans out.

[The Chair, Conservative, David Tilson]

Thank you, sir.

One brief question, sir.

[Maurizio Bevilacqua, Liberal, Vaughan, ON]

Coming out of today's meetings, one of the issues that I'm sure this committee will have to deal with in a very serious way is that there is an expectation, including from Ms. Taub and Mr. Collacott, that you want the system to work.

In order for the system to work, it's going to require funding, and it's going to require major resources. One of the things I will be looking for, as a member of Parliament and a member of this committee, is to find out if in fact the $574 million allocated for this is going to be enough. The IRB chair was here. I read between the lines when people speak, and I wasn't sure whether he's going to have enough money to do his job. That's something we're going to look for.

Anyway, thank you so much for the supportive nature that you expressed, but I think that as a committee we are going to dig a little bit deeper, on both sides. I know that you had only a few minutes to express your point of view.

Mr. Chairman, if Mr. Collacott and Ms. Taub would have additional information to forward to us as a committee--because they're quite knowledgeable on the file--I would certainly welcome receiving it so that we can benefit from their expertise.

[Julie Taub]

If I provide these notes, do I have to provide them in both official languages?

[The Chair, Conservative, David Tilson]

No. The clerk will arrange for that.

So if either of you have any more thoughts after today—I know the time has been brief—if you think they would be helpful, we'd appreciate hearing from you. Just send it to the clerk.

Thank you, Ms. Taub and Mr. Collacott. You're obviously both experts and we appreciate your wisdom.

[Julie Taub]

Thank you very much for having me here.

[The Chair, Conservative, David Tilson]

Thank you very much.

The meeting is adjourned.