Evidence of meeting #27 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 vulnerable.

A video is available from Parliament.

On the agenda

MPs speaking

Also speaking

Aneki Nissan  President, Centre for Canadian-Assyrian Relations
David Marshall  Team Leader, Assessment Mission to South Sudan, Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights
John Clayton  Director of Programs and Projects, Samaritan's Purse Canada
Raija-Liisa Schmidt-Teigen  General Director of a Community Center, Samaritan's Purse Northern Iraq
David Manicom  Associate Assistant Deputy Minister, Strategic and Program Policy, Department of Citizenship and Immigration
Heather Jeffrey  Director General, International Humanitarian Assistance, Department of Foreign Affairs, Trade and Development

1:55 p.m.

Associate Assistant Deputy Minister, Strategic and Program Policy, Department of Citizenship and Immigration

David Manicom

That's right.

1:55 p.m.

Liberal

The Chair Liberal Borys Wrzesnewskyj

Thank you.

Ms. Rempel, for five minutes.

1:55 p.m.

Conservative

Michelle Rempel Conservative Calgary Nose Hill, AB

Thank you, Mr. Chair.

I'll just pick up on some of the comments around the source country class and section 25 also.

Regardless of political stripe, we're trying to look at the best possible option for public policy in this area given the testimony that we had. I think we've heard comments that the source country class was a good thing, but we also know that there were challenges in putting it into operation and that particular public policy option being nimble enough to act in these situations.

My understanding is it was in 2012 when section 25.2 was put into the immigration act as a different option to do the same thing. Is that correct, in essence?

1:55 p.m.

Associate Assistant Deputy Minister, Strategic and Program Policy, Department of Citizenship and Immigration

David Manicom

Yes, the exact date, I look to experts, is that 2012? We could confirm that.

1:55 p.m.

Conservative

Michelle Rempel Conservative Calgary Nose Hill, AB

The date is the intent.

1:55 p.m.

Associate Assistant Deputy Minister, Strategic and Program Policy, Department of Citizenship and Immigration

1:55 p.m.

Conservative

Michelle Rempel Conservative Calgary Nose Hill, AB

We also heard testimony that section 25.2 has been difficult for people on the ground, to put into operation or to work with. I think there's some unanimity in the committee that perhaps at a later date we can look at the efficacy of this particular tool since it's three or four years young at this point. I would encourage my Liberal colleagues that perhaps this is something that we can revisit in greater detail in the fall.

In the meantime, given that we've heard very compelling testimony and we have a recommendation from the UN to assist Yazidi victims of genocide, is section 25.2 something that could possibly be used to accelerate these applications?

1:55 p.m.

Associate Assistant Deputy Minister, Strategic and Program Policy, Department of Citizenship and Immigration

David Manicom

I'm only hesitant about the term “accelerate” because we don't have any applications in the strict sense of the word. It is a tool that could be used to resettle internally displaced populations, including Yazidis, yes. From a legal point of view it has the authorities required.

1:55 p.m.

Conservative

Michelle Rempel Conservative Calgary Nose Hill, AB

Thank you.

I want to go back to the UN prioritization criteria. I'm not trying to be critical of the department, but we heard very compelling testimony today that there are significant flaws within the UNHCR selection process. This isn't necessarily being critical of them, either; it's just a question about how we can make things better so that we can save some very seriously persecuted people who are facing genocide. You listed a lot of committees that Canada is part of.

Does the department actually approach the UNHCR specifically with regard to the concern around wait times for Yazidis or the fact that we haven't been able to identify them through that process? Has there been any communication saying, this is something you're telling us to do, but we're not getting any from you? Has there been any communication with UNHCR to that effect, to date?

1:55 p.m.

Associate Assistant Deputy Minister, Strategic and Program Policy, Department of Citizenship and Immigration

David Manicom

Not to my knowledge; we don't have a Yazidi-specific program at this time.

1:55 p.m.

Conservative

Michelle Rempel Conservative Calgary Nose Hill, AB

If there were going to be one, and we've heard testimony about this, is it something the department would typically have a conversation with the UN about, to ask how we can rely confidently on the UN lists, if they're not bringing Yazidis up through that process? Would that be a discussion that we would have with the UNHCR to accelerate the identification of those people?

1:55 p.m.

Associate Assistant Deputy Minister, Strategic and Program Policy, Department of Citizenship and Immigration

David Manicom

Yes. The UNHCR would not have the legal authority to refer internally displaced persons to Canada; that's not part of their mandate. We would therefore be working with other partners. I believe the Germans, for example, did some work with the International Organization for Migration. The UNHCR's legal mandate is conferred by the General Assembly, and it has its limitations, from a settlement referral point of view. Even though the organization is involved in assisting internally displaced persons in many ways, they don't have a legal mandate to assist them.

1:55 p.m.

Conservative

Michelle Rempel Conservative Calgary Nose Hill, AB

I'm going to ask a very difficult question, but the implication has been made by my colleagues. I'm going to put it very bluntly and I'd like a very succinct answer. Was the department ever directed by the previous government to discriminate against or exclude any particular ethnic or religious group as part of the previous government's response to the Syrian refugee crisis?

2 p.m.

Associate Assistant Deputy Minister, Strategic and Program Policy, Department of Citizenship and Immigration

David Manicom

You said “discriminate against”.

2 p.m.

Conservative

Michelle Rempel Conservative Calgary Nose Hill, AB

Yes. I mean so as to not select or to specifically exclude certain groups from coming to Canada.

2 p.m.

Associate Assistant Deputy Minister, Strategic and Program Policy, Department of Citizenship and Immigration

David Manicom

The areas of focus were a positive list, if you will; it identified nine areas of focus or interest, so it was not exclusionary literally.

In effect, of course, if you establish some priorities, you de-prioritize other things.

2 p.m.

Conservative

Michelle Rempel Conservative Calgary Nose Hill, AB

What we've heard today from people is, and as you said—

2 p.m.

Liberal

The Chair Liberal Borys Wrzesnewskyj

Thank you.

2 p.m.

Conservative

Michelle Rempel Conservative Calgary Nose Hill, AB

—there are many heartbreaking situations, but we prioritize at times. Is that correct? I mean, throughout Canada's immigration history on refugees we have said, “we are making this a priority”, just as the government has said now—right?

2 p.m.

Liberal

The Chair Liberal Borys Wrzesnewskyj

Thank you, Ms. Rempel.

Mr. Ehsassi, you have five minutes.

2 p.m.

Liberal

Ali Ehsassi Liberal Willowdale, ON

Thank you, Mr. Chair.

First of all, given that my colleagues have asked about section 25, currently, as I understand it, for this year the estimates are set at between 2,800 and 3,600 people for section 25 use.

Has there ever been an occasion since 2012 on which that number has been raised?

2 p.m.

Associate Assistant Deputy Minister, Strategic and Program Policy, Department of Citizenship and Immigration

David Manicom

I'd like to clarify that this space in the levels plan is used almost entirely for persons already in Canada who are seeking to remain in Canada for humanitarian and compassionate reasons, not for resettlement from abroad.

2 p.m.

Liberal

Ali Ehsassi Liberal Willowdale, ON

So it doesn't give us the necessary flexibility to use with respect to groups that we've heard.

2 p.m.

Associate Assistant Deputy Minister, Strategic and Program Policy, Department of Citizenship and Immigration

David Manicom

No, I wouldn't say that. The annual levels planning process, combined with the authorities under section 25.2, provides the ability to identify groups, small, medium, or large, for public policies under section 25.2.

2 p.m.

Liberal

Ali Ehsassi Liberal Willowdale, ON

Do we know, so far in this given year, how many of those slots, if you will, have been used?