Evidence of meeting #108 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 border.
A recording is available from Parliament.
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Associate Assistant Deputy Minister, Strategic and Program Policy, Department of Citizenship and Immigration
It might be easier. I have a lot of data.
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Conservative
Michelle Rempel Conservative Calgary Nose Hill, AB
When can you get that to us? I would not like that in September, so if you have it right now, that would be great.
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Associate Assistant Deputy Minister, Strategic and Program Policy, Department of Citizenship and Immigration
I can look right now.
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Conservative
Michelle Rempel Conservative Calgary Nose Hill, AB
Wonderful. If you want to get back to us, I'll keep asking questions with my time.
Mr. Cloutier, you stated in your remarks that over 800 employees were reallocated temporarily to the U.S.-Quebec land border to assist their colleagues during the surge. Can you please table with the committee from where and what service lines those employees were reallocated, from what locations they were reallocated, and any additional training they received, if any, to respond to this?
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Vice-President, Operations Branch, Canada Border Services Agency
Absolutely.
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Conservative
Michelle Rempel Conservative Calgary Nose Hill, AB
Thank you very much.
With regard to the biometrics program—and this is for the CBSA—CBSA employees have indicated problems with educating and engaging front-line officers on when and how to use the live-scan devices to enrol individuals in the biometrics program. In fact, it's estimated that as many as 10,000 sets of fingerprints are currently in a “holding tank” in the global case management system because they are not linked to any individuals. Is this correct?
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Vice-President, Operations Branch, Canada Border Services Agency
I'm not aware of the information that you just raised. I would be happy to follow up on this, and I would be happy to respond.
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Conservative
Michelle Rempel Conservative Calgary Nose Hill, AB
Thank you. Just to be clear, can you please table with the committee the total number of fingerprints that are in the global case management system that are not linked to any individual?
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Vice-President, Operations Branch, Canada Border Services Agency
If that is the case, I will, indeed.
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Conservative
Michelle Rempel Conservative Calgary Nose Hill, AB
Thank you.
Also to the CBSA, regarding immigration information sharing and CBSA's role in visa decisions, I have been informed that IIS information that relates to a case is deleted if it is received after a decision on the visa application has been rendered. As far as I understand, if we receive information from an ally that an individual is at risk, that information is not retained within the GCMS or CPIC for front-line border officers to use. Is that correct?
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Vice-President, Operations Branch, Canada Border Services Agency
Again, respectfully, I don't know what your sources are. I understand that's information that's been shared with you. I do not have that information, so—
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Conservative
Michelle Rempel Conservative Calgary Nose Hill, AB
Could you please table with committee whether or not that assertion is correct?
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Vice-President, Operations Branch, Canada Border Services Agency
I would have to do the analysis based on the information you just shared.
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Conservative
Michelle Rempel Conservative Calgary Nose Hill, AB
Thank you.
Mr. MacDonald, do you have that number?
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Associate Assistant Deputy Minister, Strategic and Program Policy, Department of Citizenship and Immigration
No, I do not. We'll table it with the committee with all the other questions.
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Associate Assistant Deputy Minister, Strategic and Program Policy, Department of Citizenship and Immigration
In the fullness of time.
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Conservative
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Conservative
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Associate Assistant Deputy Minister, Strategic and Program Policy, Department of Citizenship and Immigration
Chair, we will continue to provide the information—
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Conservative
Michelle Rempel Conservative Calgary Nose Hill, AB
This is a parliamentary committee. How do you not have that information? You're sitting here on a briefing. How many people came in in April? How do you not have that information in front of a parliamentary committee?
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Liberal
The Chair Liberal Rob Oliphant
I would just remind all the members that they may request documents from any witness. However, it's not a formal request being made by the committee. The member will have an opportunity, if they would like, to make a motion to request documents.
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Conservative
Michelle Rempel Conservative Calgary Nose Hill, AB
Mr. Chair, since I have the floor, I would like to move:
That the Department of Citizenship and Immigration table with the Committee, before the end of this week, the number of asylum claimants that were made by people entering Canada through non-official points of entry in the month of April 2018.
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Liberal
The Chair Liberal Rob Oliphant
There is a motion on the floor. Is it allowable, if it's in her time, without notice?
