Evidence of meeting #21 for Citizenship and Immigration in the 40th Parliament, 3rd Session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was process.

A recording is available from Parliament.

On the agenda

MPs speaking

Also speaking

Howard Anglin  Lawyer, As an Individual
Elisabeth Garant  Director, Centre justice et foi
Louise Dionne  Centre justice et foi
Philip Mooney  Past President, Canadian Association of Professional Immigration Consultants
Jennifer Irish  Director, Asylum Policy Program Development, Department of Citizenship and Immigration
Simon Coakeley  Executive Director, Office of the Executive Director, Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada
Peter Hill  Director General, Post-Border Programs, Canada Border Services Agency
François Guilbault  Senior Legal Advisor, Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada
Reg Williams  Director, Inland Immigration Enforcement, Greater Toronto Area Region, Canada Border Services Agency

8:50 p.m.

Executive Director, Office of the Executive Director, Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada

Simon Coakeley

No, indeed. We do not see it as an adversarial process, by any stretch of the imagination. We see it as an information exchange process. There are definitely pieces of information we need to obtain from refugee claimants, the sort of information that's currently found in the PIF, the personal information form.

In addition to that, we see it as an opportunity to provide information to the claimant, for example, if they aren't at that point represented. We would expect to work with bar associations in order to be able to provide lists, perhaps of counsel who've indicated they're willing to work pro bono, or for legal aid. We would provide that sort of information. We would hope to be able to provide much more detailed information about how a hearing will take place, the sorts of questions that people might be asked at the hearing, and that sort of thing.

In our current context, people arrive and they often have children with them during the hearing. When they come to the interview we'll be able to tell them what to do when they come to the hearing with their children, so that even though the children have to be there, there's somebody to look after them while the hearing is taking place, for example.

8:55 p.m.

Conservative

The Chair Conservative David Tilson

Sorry, that's the end. Time's up.

Thank you very much, Mr. Coakeley, Mr. Guilbault, Mr. Hill, Ms. Taylor, Mr. Williams, for coming at such a late hour. You have made a valid contribution to the committee, and we thank you.

Before we adjourn the meeting, ladies and gentlemen, the clerk is going to distribute two things: a package of the amendments from the four caucuses, and the draft regulations, for your bedtime reading this evening.

Unless there's anything else, I'm going to adjourn this meeting until tomorrow, Tuesday, June 1, at 3:30, Room 209 West Block.

The meeting is adjourned.