Citizenship and Immigration Committee on Dec. 1st, 2016

[Johannes van der Klaauw]

Normally, before a refugee is resettled, we try to get the family together and then resettle the entire family. If that is not possible and the situation is urgent, then the family members who are refugees somewhere are resettled, and then we try later on to reunite the family, but that often takes time.

Canada, of course, does a lot of this. Many of the refugees resettled, including the Syrians resettled over the last year, now have family members coming out of Syria—because normally they're still in the country of origin—by means of family coming to Canada. This would also apply once Yazidi refugees have been resettled to Canada if the remaining family members are still in northern Iraq.

[Ali Ehsassi, Liberal, Willowdale, ON]

Thank you.

[The Chair, Liberal, Borys Wrzesnewskyj]

Thank you, gentlemen.

Mr. van der Klaauw, just for additional clarity, you've referenced this twice, and our relationship and the confidence that we have in our long-standing, strong partnership with the UNHCR in a certain way has been called into question by some of these allegations. You said that to investigate these serious allegations, you request that we officially send a letter from the committee.

Just for clarity, if a letter were to be sent to the UNHCR headquarters in Geneva from the Standing Committee on Citizenship and Immigration of the House of Commons, that would trigger an investigation into these allegations and that would then allow you to respond in a more extensive way to the committee as to whether or not we can maintain the confidence that we have in our partnership.

For clarity, would that be the procedure that you are looking for?

[Johannes van der Klaauw]

The answer is yes, that would be the procedure.

However, you might wish to substantiate the allegations, as my colleague said, with more detailed, precise information in order for us to make the investigation also substantive, because the more information you can share with us, the better.

Let me say it this way: the UNHCR office always comes across this in our work. I've had to refer to our Inspector General's Office. In all my assignments, at least once if not more times, allegations come to my attention as a representative of the UNHCR in the field by partners or others about misconduct. This is not something that is alien to me. This is very serious, but I know from my experience that we can only take action if the allegations are proven to be true, and it means that they should be detailed and substantive. I would like to ask you, then, to try to be as detailed as possible.

[The Chair, Liberal, Borys Wrzesnewskyj]

Gentlemen, thank you for appearing before our committee today on this very important committee investigation.

I would also like to express our gratitude for all of the work that the UNHCR has done over the years in very difficult parts of the world, and at times at tremendous personal risk. I thank you gentlemen personally, and thank you for the work that UNHCR does.

With that, we will suspend for a couple of minutes and return in camera.

[Proceedings continue in camera]