Citizenship and Immigration Committee on Nov. 22nd, 2017

[Michelle Rempel, Conservative, Calgary Nose Hill, AB]

So then you would commit to undertaking a review of...because, again, there's been I think a significant body of evidence in front of this committee already, showing that part of the friction points or challenges in terms of the application of the framework has been at service delivery points. Would you then commit to undertaking a review of that as part of the overall review you're looking at in this framework?

[Ahmed Hussen, Liberal, York South—Weston, ON]

There are two things I'll say about that. One of the things we're looking at is a centralized unit to make these decisions so that you can have consistency. The second thing is that overall, in terms of client service improvements—

[Michelle Rempel, Conservative, Calgary Nose Hill, AB]

But specifically in terms of simplifying the language in the—

[Ahmed Hussen, Liberal, York South—Weston, ON]

Yes. So a centralized unit to make consistent decisions with respect to the—

[Michelle Rempel, Conservative, Calgary Nose Hill, AB]

—to medical inadmissibility.

[Ahmed Hussen, Liberal, York South—Weston, ON]

Yes.

[Michelle Rempel, Conservative, Calgary Nose Hill, AB]

Is there also work being undertaken to perhaps simplify the language that's coming out in terms of medical inadmissibility letters and the appeals process?

[Ahmed Hussen, Liberal, York South—Weston, ON]

I can assure you that this is part of our overall client service improvement initiative. It's to improve how we communicate with clients, how they can track their applications, and how they can get faster responses to their inquiries. That will be captured as part of it.

[Michelle Rempel, Conservative, Calgary Nose Hill, AB]

Fantastic.

Just while I have you, as we rarely get a chance to chat, I want to inform you and your officials that I have put the following motion, which I hope I don't have to move, on notice: that the committee report to the House the matter of the failure of the Department of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada to provide the committee information it requested regarding the issue of asylum seekers on September 28, October 3, and October 5, since privilege may be involved, and give the House an opportunity to reflect on this matter.

[Ahmed Hussen, Liberal, York South—Weston, ON]

Is that a question?

[Michelle Rempel, Conservative, Calgary Nose Hill, AB]

I'm just informing you, while your department officials are here, of the fact that this motion has been put on notice. I hope I don't have to move it. It's been two months since the committee asked for some of this information. It's getting to the point where it's impacting our ability to look at other issues, such as the supplementary estimates.

[Ahmed Hussen, Liberal, York South—Weston, ON]

Okay.

[Michelle Rempel, Conservative, Calgary Nose Hill, AB]

Thank you.

[Ahmed Hussen, Liberal, York South—Weston, ON]

You're welcome.

[The Chair, Liberal, Rob Oliphant]

You have one minute left, Ms. Rempel.

[Michelle Rempel, Conservative, Calgary Nose Hill, AB]

Fantastic.

Just pushing on the issue of simplifying process, another issue we heard about was that the department is still sending out correspondence about medical inadmissibility by mail, and that sometimes medical certificates expire before a decision is even rendered. I'm wondering if, as part of the review, your department is looking at perhaps delivering those notices via electronic communication or some way that can condense the timeline in terms of decisions so that if the time between getting that medical certificate and an actual decision rendered could be condensed, the decision wouldn't expire.

[Ahmed Hussen, Liberal, York South—Weston, ON]

Look, whichever way we can do client service better, we're looking at. Client service is at the heart of everything we do. We should put the client at the centre of everything we do. Improving client service is in my mandate letter. We have a unit now in IRCC that is responsible for client service. We have a director general responsible for client service for the first time in the immigration department's history. It's a huge priority for me.

Anything that can go towards improving client service, I'm open to, including on this issue. If you have a specific suggestion, such as the one you just articulated, I'm happy to receive it. It could be part of the recommendations from this committee.

[The Chair, Liberal, Rob Oliphant]

Thank you, Minister.

Following up on Ms. Rempel's comments, I just want to let the committee and the officials know that almost all the requests of IRCC have been submitted to the clerk already. They've not yet been distributed to the committee, but they're all in.

[Michelle Rempel, Conservative, Calgary Nose Hill, AB]

No, they're not.

[The Chair, Liberal, Rob Oliphant]

The ones that we are waiting for are actually not from your department, Minister. They're from other departments that we may have to go after as well. We have received the information from you. Other information is still outstanding, but it's from other departments.

[Ahmed Hussen, Liberal, York South—Weston, ON]

Thank you for the clarification, Mr. Chair.

[The Chair, Liberal, Rob Oliphant]

Ms. Kwan.

[Jenny Kwan, NDP, Vancouver East, BC]

Thank you very much, Mr. Chair.

Thank you to the minister and his officials for agreeing to be here today.

I want to start with a fundamental question.

Minister, in your comments just now, you said, quote, that “this provision is out of date”, referring to the excessive demand provision, and that you want to bring the policies more in line with a Canada that is to be inclusive of people with disabilities. We also have a variety of laws in place, namely the charter of freedoms, in terms of our commitment to equality and human rights, and our provincial and federal human rights legislation. As well, Canada is a signatory to the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities.

Now, if you take a look at all of those rights in the context of the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act, you will note that this provision is in fact contrary to those protected rights. To that end, is really the only option in going forward to do away with the provision of excessive demand? No matter how you tinker with the policy and its application, it is not going to align with those stated rights in our charter and our human rights legislation, as well as the fact that Canada has signed on to the UN declaration.

[Ahmed Hussen, Liberal, York South—Weston, ON]

Your position is that—

[Jenny Kwan, NDP, Vancouver East, BC]

No, I'm asking you that question.