Thank you.
Bill C-43 also stipulates that permanent residents who commit a crime for which they are sentenced to six months' imprisonment or longer lose the right to appeal. This is a right they have right now, the right to appeal their removal order to the Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada.
We have heard testimony from various groups in this committee that various circumstances warrant a stay of a removal order, even for residents convicted of crimes. These circumstances include when the resident has lived most of their lives in Canada and has weak or no connections to their country of birth; the resident is suffering from mental health problems that have contributed to their committing the crime; and the resident's family's circumstances in Canada warrant a conditional stay of the removal order based on humanitarian and compassionate grounds.
How does your organization view the elimination of appealing a removal order for residents sentenced to imprisonment for six months or longer? Should the law give all permanent residents, including those convicted of crimes, the right of appeal to the IRB?