Citizenship and Immigration Committee on May 31st, 2018

[Marta Morgan]

We obviously need to look at the overall trends in the asylum claims, what they're expected to be going forward, the ability to hire and train, and how quickly all of that can happen, so there are a number of factors that need to be considered, in addition to the overall budget decision-making process, about when is the right time to do that. Clearly that's something we work very closely with the IRB on.

[The Chair, Liberal, Rob Oliphant]

Thank you.

Ms. Rempel.

[Michelle Rempel, Conservative, Calgary Nose Hill, AB]

Thank you, Mr. Chair.

How many privately sponsored refugee applications are currently in the processing backlog?

[Marta Morgan]

The inventory for PSR cases at the moment is about 43,252 persons, which includes 15,884 groups of five and community sponsors.

[Michelle Rempel, Conservative, Calgary Nose Hill, AB]

Is that backlog likely to be cleared by the end of 2019?

[Marta Morgan]

We are working very hard to reduce the backlog. The multi-year immigration levels plan has provided for 57,000 privately sponsored refugees over the next three years. That will enable us to reduce the backlog and lower processing times to 12 months.

[Michelle Rempel, Conservative, Calgary Nose Hill, AB]

How many privately sponsored refugee applications are anticipated to be in the queue for processing at the end of 2018?

[Marta Morgan]

I would have to provide that information. That is a projection that I do not have with me at the moment, but we are planning to welcome 18,000 privately sponsored refugees this year and 19,000 next year.

[Michelle Rempel, Conservative, Calgary Nose Hill, AB]

How many IRCC staff have been reallocated or moved to process various components of applications related to people who have illegally crossed the border into Canada from the United States and have subsequently made asylum claims?

[Marta Morgan]

While we reallocated a modest number of staff last year in order to assist us with the increased volume of asylum claims, this year we did receive funding in the budget that allows us to backfill those positions. We do not foresee any impact on other lines of business.

[Michelle Rempel, Conservative, Calgary Nose Hill, AB]

What was the modest number of staff?

[Marta Morgan]

I'll let Mike MacDonald answer that.

[Mike MacDonald, Associate Assistant Deputy Minister, Strategic and Program Policy, Department of Citizenship and Immigration]

Last year we reallocated just over 160 staff to work throughout the busy summer period. This year there is no reallocation necessary, as was stated.

[Michelle Rempel, Conservative, Calgary Nose Hill, AB]

Are those 160 staff back on their regular lines of processing, or are they still processing the claims of illegal border crossers?

[Mike MacDonald]

No, they're back to their regular duties. There is no backlog of eligibility claims.

[Michelle Rempel, Conservative, Calgary Nose Hill, AB]

No...so the 160 staff who moved, where did they go? Who is processing the claims now?

[Mike MacDonald]

The individuals who worked last year were working in Complexe Guy-Favreau, downtown Montreal, and they were working through the eligibility decisions that we had. All of that work is completed, and those staff have all migrated back to their regular duties.

[Michelle Rempel, Conservative, Calgary Nose Hill, AB]

Who is doing the processing for illegal border crossers?

[Mike MacDonald]

We now have regular staff who work out of Complexe Guy-Favreau because that has become a more permanent type of processing area. In addition we have the mobile units processing staff at Lacolle when necessary.

[Michelle Rempel, Conservative, Calgary Nose Hill, AB]

How many staff were hired to process the claims of illegal border crossers?

[Mike MacDonald]

We backfilled the positions over time through a variety of staffing measures, so that's the 160 plus. That is now part of our regular workforce.

[Michelle Rempel, Conservative, Calgary Nose Hill, AB]

So how many staff are now processing the claims of illegal border crossers?

[Mike MacDonald]

We have just over 60 individuals working explicitly on the border issue.

[Michelle Rempel, Conservative, Calgary Nose Hill, AB]

How many staff currently work to process the claims of privately sponsored refugees?

[Marta Morgan]

We'd be happy to provide that information to the committee. Those staff are spread throughout our various networks internationally and domestically. We'd have to see if we even separate them out because most of our staff do multiple processing jobs with privately sponsored refugees. At some times of the year they focus more on the temporary visa side, and at some times of the year they focus on other permanent lines of business.