Evidence of meeting #134 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 global.
A recording is available from Parliament.
Conservative
David Tilson Conservative Dufferin—Caledon, ON
Well then, what's the point of adopting a non-binding agreement?
Director General, International Humanitarian Assistance, Department of Foreign Affairs, Trade and Development
That's a good question. I think it is for other countries out there to rally, support and look for solidarity around what is a really important global issue.
I think a non-binding agreement, by its nature, which is seeking to expand the tent, so to speak, in terms of other countries' engagement on this issue, is really important. The more countries that we can get to be engaged on refugee issues around the world, the better it is for refugee outcomes.
Conservative
David Tilson Conservative Dufferin—Caledon, ON
Well, they're not having too much luck because there are quite a few member states that aren't agreeing to this—the United States, Australia, Israel, Austria, to name some. There may be others.
Director General, International Humanitarian Assistance, Department of Foreign Affairs, Trade and Development
Yes. That's the global compact on migration, not on refugees. With refugees, that's not the case.
Conservative
David Tilson Conservative Dufferin—Caledon, ON
To Ms. Greene, will this initiative cause Canada to adjust the mix of economic, family and humanitarian migrants that we accept?
Senior Director, Resettlement and Protection Policy, Department of Citizenship and Immigration
Do you want to try that one?
Director General, International and Intergovernmental Relations, Department of Citizenship and Immigration
I can assure you it won't have an impact on that. That will be a decision for the Government of Canada to take.
With respect to the general point you're raising, I guess it's one that was of fundamental concern to all of us as officials as the global compact on migration was being negotiated. We were particularly concerned when the United States withdrew and, as part of their withdrawal, they said they were concerned about the impacts on their sovereignty.
It's for that reason that we were so careful in paragraph 15 of the compact to put in there that this is a question that “reaffirms the sovereign right of States”. It's the reason that we put in there, in paragraph 7, that it's non-legally binding. Can countries—or the United Nations, or civil society or anyone else—campaign with Canada to pressure us to do x or y or z? Yes, they can, but ultimately it's a decision for Canada as a sovereign state and for the government of the day to decide whether they want to yield to that pressure.
Conservative
David Tilson Conservative Dufferin—Caledon, ON
I understand that, although, you know, look at the Paris climate accord. I don't want to get into environment, Mr. Chairman, but that's non-binding and yet if someone who signed that agreement, agreed to that agreement, didn't follow through, they'd be criticized. They'd be taken to task by others who are following through.
I guess I'm returning to a question I just asked about the pressure that could be put on Canada to do certain things that we might not necessarily want to do.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Rob Oliphant
Let me give permission to the officials to answer as officials and to decline if you think that question is really for your political masters. It's up to you to decide that.
Senior Director, Resettlement and Protection Policy, Department of Citizenship and Immigration
Thank you very much.
I think the question is, in many ways, hypothetical. As officials of the Government of Canada, we are looking at evidence, we are looking at data and we are providing our best advice to the government of the day.
Director General, International and Intergovernmental Relations, Department of Citizenship and Immigration
I guess the one thing I would add is that it gives Canada an opportunity as well. It gives Canada an opportunity to engage with other countries that perhaps are not taking advantage of the opportunities that migration can bring. Just as migration has given us economic and social benefits in Canada, it's an opportunity for us to campaign with other countries to ask why they don't think about putting in regular pathways for permanent residents or temporary residents. We have derived a lot of benefit from this in Canada, in terms of filling skills shortages, in terms of addressing our aging population. There's a huge demand globally for migration, obviously evidenced by the fact that there are 258 million people on the move. It's an opportunity for us to ask why they don't take advantage of this and put regular pathways in place.
If there were more regular pathways in place across the world, hopefully that would have an effect in terms of mitigating irregular migration, because people would have more opportunities for regular migration across the world.
NDP
Wayne Stetski NDP Kootenay—Columbia, BC
Last Easter, a number of colleagues from all parties and I visited Palestine and visited one of the United Nations refugee camps in Palestine. I'm curious: Under the GCR, is Canada going to be increasing funding for the UNHCR and its important work? Maybe you can't answer that, but is there potential to increase funding for UNHCR under the GCR?
Director General, International Humanitarian Assistance, Department of Foreign Affairs, Trade and Development
There is no link between funding for UNHCR and the GCR. We are, though, a strong supporter of UNHCR in terms of financial support over the years, recognizing the important work it does on refugee situations.
We also support a host of other organizations to respond, though, to refugee issues. In Uganda, for instance, I'm sure you saw some of the international NGOs that are working in that space. There's a variety of channels or partners that we use, but there is no increased funding attached to the GCR.
NDP
Wayne Stetski NDP Kootenay—Columbia, BC
They certainly do important and excellent work and I think we should be funding them as much as we possibly can, quite frankly.
Mexico looks like it's about to become a host country for refugees. Would Mexico qualify as a host country for refugees, given what the United States is doing, by keeping people from crossing over into the country? What would that look like? Does Canada have any interest in trying to support Mexico, in any way, to deal with their becoming a host country for refugees?
Director General, International and Intergovernmental Relations, Department of Citizenship and Immigration
Regarding Mexico, they are also a party to the refugee convention, so they have obligations there as well. If someone claims asylum within Mexico, Mexico is obligated to determine whether the person is genuinely fleeing persecution and needs protection and then to offer them that protection, as a party to that convention.
In terms of Canada's engagement with Mexico, we have provided capacity-building to Mexico, in the past, to assist them to improve their own asylum system, so they are better able to receive claims from people who are coming into their country—whether they are from Central America or elsewhere—to determine whether they are genuine refugees and to be able to keep them in Mexico for as long as they are suffering persecution.
NDP
Wayne Stetski NDP Kootenay—Columbia, BC
It's quite disturbing. I understand the United States is using tear gas to keep people from crossing the border. When you think of a third safe country agreement, I wonder if that will impact how we look at the United States going forward.
That's it. Thank you.
Scarborough Centre, Lib.
Thank you, Chair.
My question is for the GAC officials.
One of the most encouraging things that I see about the global compact on migration is the focus on sustainable development. We cannot possibly hope to solve the global migration crisis by treating the symptoms alone. We need to address the root causes of why people leave in the first place. They are often forced to flee because of war and persecution, but many times, they flee in search of economic opportunities.
Can you please address the importance of sustainable development in managing migration and why it is important?
Director General, International Assistance Policy, Department of Foreign Affairs, Trade and Development
Indeed, the millions of migrants on the move often live in poverty, where the situations of the poorest and most vulnerable are acute, including women and girls. As you stated, this is a key part of the global compact, which recognizes those particular vulnerabilities that are faced by particularly vulnerable migrants in the least developed countries. The 23 objectives address some of those issues, including trafficking and the situation of women and girls.
For Canada, our international assistance is focused on the poorest and most vulnerable and that includes support to countries that are sources of migrants and hosts for migrants. As Mr. Salewicz pointed out, at times, we can take a comprehensive approach, where we're dealing with mixed migrant and refugee populations, so we look at not just humanitarian assistance, but development assistance as well. Those opportunities exist through education and through employment opportunities, in order to set up what are often protracted situations, and allow that next generation to have a fighting chance.
Scarborough Centre, Lib.
Yes, that is one issue, but the situation in the camps in many host countries.... For example, over 700,000 people came from Myanmar and they are in Bangladesh. We heard from our committee members who went to the camps and saw them that there are situations that need to be addressed. Through the compact, do you think that we will be better able to manage those people who are in the camps and how will that be helpful to the host countries?
Director General, International Humanitarian Assistance, Department of Foreign Affairs, Trade and Development
Indeed, I think the global compact on refugees is really about bringing development actors into the situation, into the response. As I said earlier, up until recently, the focus of refugee responses has been purely humanitarian with a focus on basic needs. We were looking at how we could ensure water, shelter and so on, but these longer-term development objectives and requirements of the population have tended to be put aside because of a lack of focus and lack of emphasis.
This compact for refugees expands the focus of the development side to really look at what are the opportunities. I think you mentioned Bangladesh, which is a good example, where the Rohingya refugees are coming in. We have a very important opportunity with that, with the work going on in Bangladesh. We've supported the World Bank to expand health and education opportunities to host communities but also to the refugees. There are a lot of opportunities through the World Bank, bringing in new actors like the World Bank to finance development initiatives focused particularly on health and education to provide longer-term development opportunities there.
Scarborough Centre, Lib.
Canada recently conducted a review of international assistance. Was migration as a driver part of that review?
Director General, International Assistance Policy, Department of Foreign Affairs, Trade and Development
As part of the international assistance review, we did look at the changing dynamic for global development, so that included the sustainable development goals, the Paris accord, but also the context of migration, refugees and IDPs, recognizing that Canada's international assistance should be focused on the poorest and most vulnerable, and particularly gender equality and the empowerment of women.
As a cross-cutting element of the review, yes, and the new policy, the feminist international assistance policy, is fully consistent with what is set out in the two global compacts in terms of a human rights-based approach, gender sensitivity and child sensitivity.