Evidence of meeting #100 for Citizenship and Immigration in the 42nd Parliament, 1st session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was million.
A video is available from Parliament.
Assistant Deputy Minister, Strategic and Program Policy, Department of Citizenship and Immigration
Mr. Chair, I think on a question we can all chime in where appropriate.
Liberal
Gary Anandasangaree Liberal Scarborough—Rouge Park, ON
Okay.
I'm going to ask a very direct question. We can have a number of different terms, such as “illegal crossing” or “illegal arrival”. With respect to the term “illegal” under IRPA, can you reference any particular definition in the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act that refers to the term “illegal”?
Associate Assistant Deputy Minister, Strategic and Program Policy, Department of Citizenship and Immigration
There is no term in the IRPA related to “illegal” as it relates to asylum. The illegality is in the Customs Act, which is crossing the—
Liberal
Gary Anandasangaree Liberal Scarborough—Rouge Park, ON
With respect to asylum seekers, there's no particular reference under IRPA, right?
Associate Assistant Deputy Minister, Strategic and Program Policy, Department of Citizenship and Immigration
There is not.
Liberal
Gary Anandasangaree Liberal Scarborough—Rouge Park, ON
Is there a definition for the term “irregular”?
Associate Assistant Deputy Minister, Strategic and Program Policy, Department of Citizenship and Immigration
That is a definition we refer to individuals.
Liberal
Gary Anandasangaree Liberal Scarborough—Rouge Park, ON
There is a definition. When we discuss issues with respect to border crossings—those who cross the border in Lacolle, for example—would it be appropriate to use the term “irregular” as opposed to “illegal”, based on the definition under IRPA?
Associate Assistant Deputy Minister, Strategic and Program Policy, Department of Citizenship and Immigration
From an IRPA perspective “irregular” is appropriate; from a Customs Act perspective, technically it is illegal under the Customs Act.
Liberal
Gary Anandasangaree Liberal Scarborough—Rouge Park, ON
We're here as the CIMM committee. I don't believe we deal with issues of customs, if I'm not mistaken.
Assistant Deputy Minister, Strategic and Program Policy, Department of Citizenship and Immigration
Mr. Chair, if I can revert back to the minister's comment, he feels at ease with using both terms. If the committee wanted to follow up and we could get back to you in writing about specifics about legislation, we'd be happy to do that.
Liberal
Assistant Deputy Minister, Strategic and Program Policy, Department of Citizenship and Immigration
I'll revert back to the minister's comment, it makes him comfortable using those two terms. He seems to use them interchangeably.
Liberal
Gary Anandasangaree Liberal Scarborough—Rouge Park, ON
Mr. MacKinnon, we are here to talk to you. We've already spoken to the minister. If you want to provide a definition where the term “illegal” is appropriate for this reference, please do so. You're welcome to do so, but I do take particular offence when we refer to those people, individuals who cross our border, and we define them as “illegal”. They may have undertaken an act that is contrary to Canadian law, but that does not make them illegal. If there is something that you want to provide, please feel free to do so.
Assistant Deputy Minister, Strategic and Program Policy, Department of Citizenship and Immigration
Mr. Chair, I would just say that, to a person, the term the officials use in our daily work is “irregular arrivals”. That's what we use. I would leave it at that, Mr. Chair.
Liberal
Gary Anandasangaree Liberal Scarborough—Rouge Park, ON
Thank you.
Just going to my earlier question as per the 2018 budget, with respect to 1,000 very vulnerable women and children we're targeting, would they have to meet the refugee convention definition? For example, we can look at “internally displaced” as well as part of those 1,000?
Associate Assistant Deputy Minister, Operations, Department of Citizenship and Immigration
The news of getting the funding in the budget came out, obviously, on February 28. You never know when your things are going to get funded. We're in the process of actually designing the program at the moment. We haven't closed any doors. Whether those will be solely refugees or whether there would also be internally displaced people, as we saw with the survivors of Daesh, we're still scoping out the program.
Liberal
Gary Anandasangaree Liberal Scarborough—Rouge Park, ON
Therefore, is there a potential for us to look at a much broader definition in this case, including IDPs?
Associate Assistant Deputy Minister, Operations, Department of Citizenship and Immigration
Yes.
Liberal
Gary Anandasangaree Liberal Scarborough—Rouge Park, ON
With respect to the conversation about resettlement services, can you advise us as to how much additional resources are going toward resettlement services and how much of that will go specifically toward, for example, the Syrian resettlement, if there's still anything ongoing, or the victims of Daesh who were part of the most recent resettlement? How much of the resettlement costs will be allocated toward that?
Assistant Deputy Minister, Strategic and Program Policy, Department of Citizenship and Immigration
Just in terms of broad numbers—and then I may turn to my colleague—in the multi-year level funding that we are receiving in the budget, the total is $747 million. A large percentage of that goes to settlement services: just a little over $370 million goes to an increase in settlement services to integrate the newcomers.
In terms of specifics, I don't know, David, if you have the further breakdown.
Assistant Deputy Minister, Settlement and Integration, Department of Citizenship and Immigration
I don't have the breakdown with me, sir, with regard to the remaining precise number of dollars for Syria. I may fail to find that in the next few minutes. Basically, the Syrian funding was very considerable for the past two fiscal years. There is some still remaining this fiscal year and a little bit next fiscal year as they proceed through the system. They, of course, are eligible for all settlement programming. Settlement programming isn't labelled for particular groups. It's just how the funding works. The overall funding envelope is rising and will continue to rise in coming years.
Liberal
Gary Anandasangaree Liberal Scarborough—Rouge Park, ON
What is that rise a result of? Is it just the increased cost of living, or is it toward specific targeted areas of settlement that may have been weaker in the past?
Assistant Deputy Minister, Settlement and Integration, Department of Citizenship and Immigration
I have the Syria funding with me.
Generally speaking, the settlement funding increases are driven by the increased number of immigrants in recent years and foreseen in future years in the levels planned. New immigrants remain eligible for settlement services until they become citizens. We fund the number of arrivals and their service usage patterns over a number of coming years.
There is still $58 million worth of Syria funding for settlement services in fiscal 2018-19, that is in the coming fiscal year.
