I would like to thank the honourable minister for all the work and his passion on the file of citizenship and immigration. We are all very thankful to you.
Minister, I know the estimates include $2.5 million in funding to among other things reduce the live-in caregiver program backlog.
This is a very important issue in my riding of Scarborough Centre. We have a substantial Filipino and Indian community and many caregivers who have come to Canada from different parts of the world. In communities like Surrey there is a large backlog of Indian caregivers awaiting approval. They are mostly women. These are hard-working people who make an important contribution to Canadian society.
How much of this funding will be used to reduce this unacceptable backlog?
What is the current backlog, and what is your goal for eliminating this backlog?