Evidence of meeting #159 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 protection.
A recording is available from Parliament.
4:50 p.m.
Conservative
Michelle Rempel Conservative Calgary Nose Hill, AB
Mr. Bhatti, I just congratulate you and your organization for the work that you have done on behalf of the Asia Bibi case. I know that your family has a deep connection to this case, having stood up for the principles of freedom of religion and protecting people who are truly persecuted for their belief. This is such an extreme case. I just really want to congratulate you and thank you for your commitment to this.
That's really all I have to say.
4:50 p.m.
NDP
Jenny Kwan NDP Vancouver East, BC
Thank you very much, Mr. Chair. Thank you to all the witnesses and apologies for the truncated time.
Yesterday, Minister Blair and the representative from the UNHCR tried to convince the committee that the provisions under Bill C-97 are fine and that refugees—asylum seekers—would not be put at risk because there is going to be an enhanced pre-removal risk assessment process. The question was asked of CARL and of Amnesty whether or not that is the case. They responded clearly and definitively to say that people would be at risk. They, in fact, called on the government to withdraw this bill.
I would like to get comments from representatives from CCR about whether or not the justification that the minister and UNHCR tried to advance is one that should be accepted?
4:50 p.m.
President, Canadian Council for Refugees
I would like to say that CCR would share the responses from CARL and Amnesty International. For our own experience, CCR works with people right on the ground. I've walked with many refugee claimants who have failed and have gone to the PRRA process. This may be an enhanced PRRA, but I really do not have a clear indication of what that enhancement means.
What happens on paper, and that they say that everybody will get a hearing, is not at all what's happening in real life. It is very hard for me to imagine that a PRRA process will be near comparable to the Immigration and Refugee Board. The Immigration and Refugee Board have really gone through a major overhaul. The government has—
4:50 p.m.
Liberal
The Acting Chair Liberal Nick Whalen
Thank you, Ms. Roque.
With the last two minutes, I'm not sure if the members on the Liberal side have a different question or would allow Ms. Roque to continue her answer.
Mrs. Zahid, you have the final two minutes.
4:50 p.m.
President, Canadian Council for Refugees
Thank you.
The Immigration and Refugee Board has gone through a major overhaul. For us to put in another process and let that process be now studied and experimented with at the expense of the life of another refugee claimant, I find that very hard to imagine.
To face a refugee claimant or a PRRA applicant and say, “You might get a hearing” or “You might get an interview”.... Refugee claimants deserve to be heard. They deserve the day when they will be asked questions and they can tell their story. Something in paper would be so much inferior. That human element is very important. It is not about being efficient. That's taking away rights from a refugee claimant.
Ms. Kwan, my answer to you is this. We could probably challenge what Minister Blair and our colleague from UNHCR have said, by asking what the comparison is. We see it every day. Whatever they have on paper, we probably have many different cases that could prove otherwise.
4:55 p.m.
Liberal
The Acting Chair Liberal Nick Whalen
Thank you very much.
There are 45 seconds left of Liberal time, so I'll use the chair's prerogative to ask a question. If an amendment to section 306 were to clarify that an oral hearing is guaranteed, would that allay at least some of your concerns?
Ms. Dench, you appear to want to answer that.
4:55 p.m.
Executive Director, Canadian Council for Refugees
Yes.
The oral hearing is only one part of what is in the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act to give the framework for hearings before the IRB. We mentioned designated representatives. There's a whole series of articles in the law that deal with refugee hearings before the IRB. If you are going to replicate everything that is there to protect the basic rights, you would need to replicate all of that in the act.
4:55 p.m.
Liberal
The Acting Chair Liberal Nick Whalen
And that draws this abbreviated meeting to a conclusion.
If any of the witnesses have additional responses they wish to make to us in writing, they may do so.
Thank you.
The meeting is adjourned.
