I would like to thank the minister and all the witnesses for joining us today.
As Ms. Sims said, a compromise had been found on Bill C-31, dealing with a fair reform program. It is unfortunate that Bill C-31 targets refugees to the same extent as smugglers and associates them with the smugglers.
Mr. Minister, you must know that, under the Geneva convention on refugees, the illegal nature of the method used by victims to flee persecution is not an obstacle to recognizing refugee status. Yet you have made it a major criterion in Bill C-31. Why?