Evidence of meeting #71 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 seekers.
A video is available from Parliament.
Director General, Operations Sector, Department of Citizenship and Immigration
No additional dollars. The dollars are with the existing programs.
Liberal
Emmanuel Dubourg Liberal Bourassa, QC
Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Good morning, ladies and gentlemen.
My thanks to the witnesses for their presentations. I would like to direct my first question to Ms. Crampton.
The United Nations Convention against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment indicates that states shall not expel persons who, after a case by case assessment, are in danger of being put to death or tortured in their countries of origin. In your opinion, has Canada honoured this convention, meaning that we have not sent people in that situation back to their own countries?
A/Commr Joanne Crampton
In terms of the RCMP's role when people are crossing between borders, as I mentioned, our responsibility is to assess to make sure of their background. We're looking for any links to possible terrorism, bringing in contraband, or anything in terms of illegal activity. That's our role in terms of assessing the people. We do so through background checks, through searches of their person, and through interviews.
From there we would then pass it to CBSA to make a determination with their process.
Liberal
Emmanuel Dubourg Liberal Bourassa, QC
Okay, thank you. That means that there is an agreement.
Still on the RCMP, could you tell me if you implemented any special measures on our borders last summer when the asylum seekers arrived? If not, was the situation the same as always?
A/Commr Joanne Crampton
No. We have put in a special process. We have a satellite detachment in close proximity to CBSA that facilitates our joint partnership. We also have a temporary processing centre, of sorts, at Roxham Road, which is where the majority of people are crossing at this time. We have set up special facilities there in order to accommodate the people coming through and our employees who are working there so that they're working in a safe environment.
Liberal
Emmanuel Dubourg Liberal Bourassa, QC
Thank you.
On the subject of a safe environment, you are responsible for protecting Canadians, as are we. Have you seen specific cases on the border where criminality was involved? Can you tell us, of the 13,000 asylum seekers who have arrived, how many have been suspected of criminality?
A/Commr Joanne Crampton
It's exceptionally low in terms of what we have seen for criminality. Any sort of criminality we find that requires further investigation we pass on to the police of jurisdiction, depending on the province where the people are coming through. From there, they will be processed through the regular criminal process by the police of jurisdiction, and they would determine whether charges would be laid or further investigation would be warranted.
In terms of Quebec in particular, there has been a very low percentage of people who have been involved in criminality.
Liberal
Emmanuel Dubourg Liberal Bourassa, QC
Thank you.
Mr. Chair, my next questions go to the officials from the Department of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship.
You know that this massive influx, so to speak, really started in July and there was also a spike in August, when we were almost talking of hundreds of people arriving each day. You are aware that government sent members of Parliament, including myself, to go and meet the Haitian community, because false information was circulating to the effect that Canada was open and welcoming Haitians. After that, my colleague Pablo Rodriguez, who is Argentinian by origin and who speaks Spanish, also went to Los Angeles. Can you tell us what impact those two missions had on the border and on immigration?
Director General, Domestic Network, Operations, Department of Citizenship and Immigration
Thank you for that extremely important question.
I believe that those efforts bore fruit, both in the United States as well in communities in Canada. It was important for people to have accurate information, that coming to Canada irregularly at ports of entry is not a ticket to permanent residence. There is a process to be followed, a process to determine refugee status that is set in motion at the IRB. It is very important for people to understand that process. I believe the efforts that were made greatly assisted us and I thank those who contributed to those efforts.
Liberal
Emmanuel Dubourg Liberal Bourassa, QC
Thank you.
You also know that an interdepartmental and intergovernmental committee exists, that includes Ontario and Quebec.
How does the existence of this ad hoc committee support the efforts to stop the massive influx of asylum seekers?
Director General, Operations Sector, Department of Citizenship and Immigration
As with any interdepartmental task force, the whole concept of ensuring that we are working together, that our plans are well known and well devised, and that we respect each other's individual operational needs, individual communication needs, policy needs, housing needs, and social needs, are discussed by this body. It's about alignment, and it's about making sure we can proceed as fast as we can with our operational plans. It's also about communication to Canadians. It's also about all levels of government working toward this issue and helping Canada respond.
Liberal
September 28th, 2017 / 9:35 a.m.
Liberal
Emmanuel Dubourg Liberal Bourassa, QC
Thank you.
A number of businesses and communities want to welcome asylum seekers because they have labour problems.
What measures has IRCC taken to make it easy for these people to enter the labour market?
Director General, Operations Sector, Department of Citizenship and Immigration
The key to this from our perspective is allowing all asylum claimants to get their work permit faster and be able to enter the workforce if they have to.
At the same time, we work with community organizations as part of our regular outreach, and we do that across Canada so partnerships and getting that work permit is the key.
Conservative
Glen Motz Conservative Medicine Hat—Cardston—Warner, AB
Thank you to the witnesses for coming today.
I will be asking a lot of questions specific to the RCMP and CBSA only. Don't be offended if I interrupt you. I have a lot of questions I want to get through.
Do either of your agencies have a detailed accounting of the actual number of resources deployed and all the costs related to the reallocation of those resources to deal with the large number of illegal border crossers including the per diems, travel, accommodation, and staffing costs including overtime?
Acting Vice-President, Operations, Canada Border Services Agency
These figures are being vetted at the moment, and we intend to release them as soon as we have the degree of comfort that allows us to do it.
Conservative
A/Commr Joanne Crampton
The same. Yes. We're looking at incremental costs and tracking those incremental costs.
Conservative
Glen Motz Conservative Medicine Hat—Cardston—Warner, AB
Can you please provide those to both committees at your earliest convenience?
Recently, articles have indicated that multiple border crossers have been in possession of, for example, child pornography when they cross the border. That was reported on “Global News”, and I understand there were no national guidelines in place prior to these occurrences.
Is that accurate?
A/Commr Joanne Crampton
The Criminal Code would apply to someone crossing with child pornography, and we would look at the policing jurisdiction to investigate such an occurrence. Those occurrences have been very low.
