Evidence of meeting #135 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 information.
A recording is available from Parliament.
4:50 p.m.
Deputy Minister, Department of Citizenship and Immigration
I'm not sure that I'm following the question.
4:50 p.m.
Conservative
Michelle Rempel Conservative Calgary Nose Hill, AB
I'm sorry. I'm trying to get the information that I'd like, and I find it odd that you can't provide it. You just said that you provide information with regard to consent. Anybody intervening on someone's behalf, including a member of Parliament, would have to get consent, yet you say that you don't associate it with follow-up.
I'm just wondering whether there's a privacy issue writ large here, because your officials aren't directed to see if there's actual consent each time somebody calls in. Oftentimes it's not a one-off process. I surely know that. Certainly we don't get same-day service from your department when we call.
4:50 p.m.
Deputy Minister, Department of Citizenship and Immigration
Mr. Chair, I regret that the member does not get same-day service when she calls our line. We endeavour to provide as good a service as we possibly can.
4:50 p.m.
Deputy Minister, Department of Citizenship and Immigration
I think there's a difference between consent provided on individual questions versus collected data that could be tabled at a committee. I think that the member has asked for data, which is not necessarily collected in that way. I would be happy, however, to look at whatever data exists.
4:50 p.m.
NDP
Jenny Kwan NDP Vancouver East, BC
Thank you very much.
On that issue, I think it's important to try to figure out how many requests have come in. I think that's the data that Ms. Rempel is asking for, and I think this would be for the benefit of everyone.
Now, I want to get into some other questions. The supplementary estimates provide for $50 million to compensate provinces for housing for asylum seekers. I know that British Columbia did not get a penny of that money, yet British Columbia in 2017 received 2,325 asylum seekers and 30% of them entered into B.C. irregularly. Each month we have about 130 individuals crossing over through our southern border at the Peace Arch in British Columbia.
Why didn't B.C. get any support out of that $50 million?
4:55 p.m.
Deputy Minister, Department of Citizenship and Immigration
On the first point about the number of requests, we absolutely do track the number of requests, the number of calls. That sort of aggregate data is available and we'll certainly provide it to the committee.
Regarding the $50 million, it was allocated for this year and is part of the supplementary estimates. The government pledged an initial $50 million to assist the provinces of Quebec, Ontario and Manitoba. To date, $11 million has been transferred to the City of Toronto and $3 million to the Province of Manitoba.
4:55 p.m.
Deputy Minister, Department of Citizenship and Immigration
Those were the areas that saw the largest increases in the number of asylum claimants.
4:55 p.m.
NDP
Jenny Kwan NDP Vancouver East, BC
That was not the information I asked for. I asked why British Columbia didn't get any portion of that $50 million. I would appreciate it if my question could get answered with respect to that.
Then, on that question, British Columbia as a province received the second-largest number of asylum seekers. Our numbers were above Manitoba's, for example. Why didn't British Columbia get a share of that money?
4:55 p.m.
Deputy Minister, Department of Citizenship and Immigration
What the federal government was looking at in providing that $50 million in funding to the City of Toronto and the Province of Manitoba—there's some remaining, obviously, that has been pledged to the Province of Quebec—is the proportional increase in the number of irregular migrants who had been coming across through irregular means.
The impact of that had been felt, in the year we were looking at it, particularly in Quebec, which has been the largest recipient, then the migration to Ontario of about 40%, and then the much smaller impact in absolute numbers, but proportionately fairly large, in the province of Manitoba.
4:55 p.m.
NDP
Jenny Kwan NDP Vancouver East, BC
I'm saying that there is a significant impact for British Columbia as well, yet somehow British Columbia was not factored in.
I wonder if Ms. Morgan could table for this committee the formula that was used to calculate the allocation for the different provinces, and specifically what information is required for British Columbia to get a portion of that money.
4:55 p.m.
Deputy Minister, Department of Citizenship and Immigration
We would be happy to table with the committee the considerations that went into the determination of the funding for that $50 million.
4:55 p.m.
NDP
Jenny Kwan NDP Vancouver East, BC
Specifically, I would like to have information about British Columbia, about why British Columbia didn't get the money and what British Columbia needs to do to demonstrate the need. Yes...?
4:55 p.m.
NDP
Jenny Kwan NDP Vancouver East, BC
Thank you.
On the question around asylum seekers, the supplementary estimates talk about using the dollars to deter asylum claims or asylum seekers. We note that the U.S. is now firing tear gas at migrants still in Mexico to deter them from making an asylum claim.
Are tear gas launchers a deterrent being examined within the government's work?
4:55 p.m.
Deputy Minister, Department of Citizenship and Immigration
No. This sort of funding refers to communications and outreach to ensure that correct information is understood regarding Canada's asylum system.
4:55 p.m.
NDP
Jenny Kwan NDP Vancouver East, BC
On that basis, then, is the ministry looking into whether or not firing tear gas at migrants prior to arriving at a border is an appropriate action under the 1951 UN convention and the 1967 protocol for asylum seekers?
4:55 p.m.
Deputy Minister, Department of Citizenship and Immigration
Canada continues to meet our international obligations with respect to asylum seekers. We're working very closely with the United States on management of the Canada-U.S. border, where we do have close and ongoing relationships with our U.S. counterparts.
4:55 p.m.
NDP
Jenny Kwan NDP Vancouver East, BC
Sorry, but my question is this. Has the department confirmed whether or not firing tear gas at migrants prior to their arriving at a border to make an asylum claim is consistent with the 1951 UN convention and the 1967 protocol for asylum seekers?
4:55 p.m.
Liberal
Matt DeCourcey Liberal Fredericton, NB
On a point of order, Mr. Chair, I'm not sure how this applies to the estimates.
4:55 p.m.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Rob Oliphant
I was just going to remind the member.
If you could make a case as to how this applies to the estimates, I would entertain that.