Evidence of meeting #144 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 asylum.
A video is available from Parliament.
Jenny Kwan NDP Vancouver East, BC
Thank you so much. As a woman, I like to ask these questions.
My question is for the Minister of Immigration.
Back in June, you announced initial funding of $50 million for Quebec, Ontario and Manitoba to deal with the influx of inland asylum seekers crossing irregularly into Canada, yet British Columbia, the province with the second-highest number of claims, did not receive any money from the government to manage that situation. Why is that?
Minister of Border Security and Organized Crime Reduction
Ms. Kwan, I appreciate that you asked the question of my colleague, but if I may, the money that we have placed in the estimates, $100 million, is to support all of the provinces for the extraordinary costs they have incurred. We are having ongoing discussions with all of the provinces, including British Columbia. Those discussions will continue.
We understand that, historically, responsibility for providing support to people who come to this country seeking refuge and asylum has been shared between municipalities, provinces and the federal government. We know that some have experienced an extraordinary cost. We're working very hard to make sure that we support them.
NDP
Jenny Kwan NDP Vancouver East, BC
British Columbia also experienced extraordinary costs as well. In fact, NGOs on the ground, which have been trying to do this work on their own without federal dollars, met with the Minister of Immigration, Minister Hussen, and asked for money and that was refused.
This ongoing pressure continues to exist in our community today.
Perhaps, Minister Blair, you could provide confirmation that British Columbia will get resources, recognizing that British Columbia is the province with the second-highest number of inland refugee claims with irregular crossers.
Minister of Border Security and Organized Crime Reduction
What I can confirm is that the B.C. minister has written to me. Our senior officials have connected. Discussions are ongoing. We are absolutely committed to working with all of the provinces to make sure that where they have experienced extraordinary costs, the federal government is there to support them. That is why we placed this money in the estimates. It's to allow us to provide that support.
NDP
Jenny Kwan NDP Vancouver East, BC
I'll look forward to seeing the numbers and dollars diverted to British Columbia, because the need is real and NGOs are struggling.
There was one NGO, in fact, that could not sustain this to the point where the staff were so stressed about having to turn people away to shelters and so on, they invited them to their homes. Can you imagine front-line staff and workers having refugees go to their homes to prevent homelessness? That is the reality we're dealing with. We don't make the headlines because we don't scream and shout. We try to do this cordially.
I ask both ministers to ensure that dollars are diverted to British Columbia accordingly. I will certainly look forward to that in the 2019 budget.
I'm going to move away from that for a minute.
One of the issues that has been raised at committee by witnesses who have come forward is a better investment in managing the situation, particularly with respect to housing. Their suggestion is that instead of putting the money into hotels, which is currently what's happening, invest that into a long-term plan. In fact, we had witnesses come to our committee, Journey Home, and suggest that we actually build housing, permanent housing, that could be utilized over and over again without having to pay a hotel bill. That proposal has been tabled with the committee. It will be going to the minister, and I believe that there are meetings with the ministers with respect to that from the organizations themselves.
Is that something the government will entertain?
Minister of Border Security and Organized Crime Reduction
What I can tell you is that we work very closely with municipalities and the provinces that actually provide these services. The determination on how and where people will be sheltered on a temporary basis while they undergo these processes is the responsibility of the municipalities. We have been working to support them for the extraordinary cost that they have experienced. We don't place a requirement on how they will provide that temporary shelter, so there have been discussions with a number of jurisdictions that are exploring a number of different alternatives for providing that housing, and we are providing assistance to support that.
NDP
Jenny Kwan NDP Vancouver East, BC
The proposal is in need of major infrastructure dollars so that you can build that housing, which, by the way, the Province of British Columbia, BC Housing, is in support of. A number of other NGOs in the community support this as well. If the minister hasn't seen the proposal, I'd be happy to hand that over to him in the House at a later date so he can take a look at it.
I do think that there can be a long-term strategy. Instead of investing dollars in hotels, you can actually build permanent housing that can be used over and over again whenever there's an influx. As the minister acknowledged, these are irregular crossers and they're coming to Canada according to Canadian law and in accordance with international obligations to which Canada is a signatory.
I'm going to leave that.
On the question of processing time, one of the issues is with the IRB. The IRB did receive two years of funding with $74 million for 2018-19, but with the rate in which the number of cases is increasing, which is up to 2,500 per month, that means the backlog is to the tune of 30,000 per year. This is significant in terms of the backlog. In order to get ahead of this, the government just tried to deal with legacy cases. We're actually creating legacy 2.0 right now, unless there are additional dollars provided to the IRB to clear this influx of backlog, because right now the claims are sitting there and it's taking at least two years to process them.
Will there be additional dollars provided to the IRB so that we don't create legacy 2.0?
Liberal
Ahmed Hussen Liberal York South—Weston, ON
First of all, I'm happy to update you that the legacy task force—
NDP
Jenny Kwan NDP Vancouver East, BC
I'm sorry, but I don't need an update. I'm just asking a specific question about whether there would be additional dollars.
Liberal
Ahmed Hussen Liberal York South—Weston, ON
I can go straight to the IRB, no problem. The investments have resulted in the hiring of 248 new staff and 64 decision-makers. That should add to the processing of 17,000 asylum claims. In addition to that—
NDP
Jenny Kwan NDP Vancouver East, BC
I'm sorry to interrupt and I don't mean to be rude, but my time is limited.
I just need to know whether or not, for budget 2019, the minister has requested additional dollars for the IRB so that we don't end up with a situation of legacy 2.0. It's just a yes or no answer.
Liberal
Ahmed Hussen Liberal York South—Weston, ON
It's not a yes or no answer because it's not just a question of money. It's also a question of what the IRB itself has done to speed up the process, the reforms.
NDP
Jenny Kwan NDP Vancouver East, BC
I'm sorry, my question is about resources. Have you requested additional resources?
Liberal
Ahmed Hussen Liberal York South—Weston, ON
We have provided resources in budget 2018 of $74 million, and 248 new staff, and 64 new judges. That will make a big difference, plus the reforms—
Liberal
Salma Zahid Scarborough Centre, Lib.
Thank you, Chair.
My first question is for Minister Blair.
Minister, could you please let us know here at the committee what our obligations are under the Canadian law for the people who cross the border? Especially for the asylum seekers, what are our obligations?
Minister of Border Security and Organized Crime Reduction
Very succinctly, under obligations by international convention and Canadian law, anyone who enters the country, regardless of how they enter, including whether they do it at a regular point of entry or irregularly across any part of our 9,000-kilometre border with the United States, and makes a claim for asylum....
First of all, it is unlawful to enter at anything other than a point of entry, so they immediately are detained by the RCMP at that point. If they make a claim for asylum, we then determine whether or not there is any aspect of criminality or national security threat, or whether they are for any other reason ineligible to make that claim. That determination is made by the RCMP, CBSA and IRCC right at the border. If they make that claim, they are entitled under our law to due process, to a hearing. There are a number of other provisions in that law for other reviews and appeals as well. Due process in the law is provided in our legislation, and they are entitled to do that.
Additionally, we have other provisions in our law that, for example, give them eligibility for health services while they are going through that due process. It was something we added back, quite frankly, because it had been removed and our courts had determined that to be unlawful. In fact, I think they called it cruel and unusual punishment, and was something that needed to be fixed. Once those hearings are completed, and if the person is determined to be eligible for asylum, they are then settled as asylum refugees. If we determine that they are not in need of Canada's protection, they are then subject to removal.
Scarborough Centre, Lib.
Thank you. My next question is also for you.
As a Toronto area MP, I've heard both from my constituents as well as from the mayor of Toronto about the impact asylum seekers have had on the availability of affordable housing and shelter space especially in Toronto. Could you please discuss how your department is working directly with the city to help address those concerns? As well, what collaborative role, if any, is the provincial government playing to coordinate the response with the federal government and the municipal government?
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Rob Oliphant
Before you begin, I do need unanimous consent for us to continue. I wouldn't want to interrupt a strong or weak man or woman. If you would like to continue, we need unanimous consent.
Conservative
Liberal
Liberal
