Citizenship and Immigration Committee on Dec. 7th, 2017

[The Chair (Mr. Robert Oliphant (Don Valley West, Lib.)), Liberal, Rob Oliphant]

Good morning.

We're happy to call to order this 90th meeting of the Standing Committee on Citizenship and Immigration.

We welcome our minister and officials from the department with us today.

Our study today is the subject matter of the supplementary estimates (B). Just for everyone's information, they have already been deemed reported back to the House because we had scheduling issues that required that to happen. However, it was still felt important for the committee to have the opportunity to discuss with the officials and with the minister the various elements of the supplementaries.

There are five broad issues related to the supplementary estimates. The minister is free to give us an update on the department and his work to date, and then the committee will ask questions.

As I've said before, I always feel fairly small-l liberal when it comes to supplementary estimates. If we get too far off the issues at hand in the supplementary estimates (B), I will call you back to the agenda, so use my generosity well in your work.

Minister, thank you for taking the time. I know you've been travelling and busy, so we're glad to have you at the committee.

[Ahmed Hussen, Liberal, Minister of Immigration]

Thank you, Mr. Chair, and thank you, colleagues.

I'm glad to be here today to discuss my department's 2017-18 supplementary estimates (B). Joining me here today are some of my officials from IRCC, including deputy minister Marta Morgan, as well as the department's assistant deputy ministers.

I will make some brief introductory remarks in order to describe the highlights of the 2017-2018 supplementary estimates (B).

After this brief statement, my colleagues and I will be happy to answer your questions.

Mr. Chair, the 2017-18 supplementary estimates (B) include a net increase of $83.9 million in resources for a number of different items.

Last year our government was proud to restore interim federal health program coverage for all beneficiaries, ensuring that all refugees and refugee claimants can access services based on their health needs. The interim federal health program provides limited temporary coverage of health care benefits to resettled refugees, asylum seekers, and certain other groups, including victims of human trafficking and individuals who have been detained under the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act.

The interim federal health program is also important for humanitarian reasons, because it provides access to basic health care for extremely vulnerable individuals. It's important for practical reasons. We know that if individuals' health concerns aren't addressed early on, they end up costing society a lot more to treat down the road. This program is vital for newcomers themselves, as well as for protecting the public health of our communities.

The supplementary estimates include $53 million in funding for this program, reflecting resources required for eligible recipients, including asylum seekers.

Mr. Chair, in June 2014, changes to the temporary foreign worker program were announced that limited access to the program, tightened the labour market impact assessment regime, and introduced enforcement with penalties for employers who don't comply.

Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada is responsible for the international mobility program. This program was created for those foreign workers who aren't subject to a labour market impact assessment as part of international agreements or special arrangements. The 2017-18 supplementary estimates (B) include $34.2 million in funding to continue to implement these reforms to the temporary foreign worker program and the international mobility program. This includes $28.7 million in operating expenses and an additional $4.6 million in capital expenditures for internal system enhancements to support compliance investigations. These funds will allow us to strengthen investigative and enforcement actions against employers, which will help us to better protect temporary workers while ensuring that the program meets its objectives.

Mr. Chair, Canadians are proud of our country's long-standing humanitarian traditions, which include offering protection to people around the world facing persecution. Our asylum system is a great example of that tradition, and we must always ensure that it is operating in an effective and efficient manner and that it is protected from abuse. With that in mind, the 2017-18 supplementary estimates (B) also include $4.4 million in funding to strengthen the process for claiming asylum in Canada in order to deter potential abuse by claimants and to safeguard the integrity of Canada's refugee protection system.

Another important activity of my department is ensuring the integration of newcomers to Canada. We believe that ensuring that newcomers can succeed in Canada is critical to our own country's future. That is why we invest significant resources in services to help settle and integrate newcomers and work towards enabling them to become active members of our communities and contributors to Canada's society and economy.

The 2017-18 supplementary estimates (B) include $1 million in funding for an advertising program aimed at increasing awareness of the programs and services that the government offers to help newcomers integrate and succeed in Canada. The advertised programs and services include those for language skills training, labour market access, and welcoming communities, among others.

Mr. Chair, the 2017-18 supplementary estimates (B) also include $2.7 million in statutory adjustments for employee benefit plans related to the salary component of funding to the temporary foreign worker program and the international mobility program, and for strengthening the process for claiming asylum in Canada. As well, the estimates include a $9.5-million decrease related to the transfer of operating budget to Global Affairs Canada in order to support departmental staff in missions abroad. They also include a number of internal transfers totalling $5.1 million to support capital investments. These internal transfers have a net effect of zero dollars in terms of new resources.

Mr. Chair, our government is committed to an immigration system that supports Canada's diversity and helps grow our economy as well as strengthen our society. We're also committed to ensuring that the immigration system is balanced among compassion, efficiency, and economic opportunity for all, while protecting the health, safety, and security of all Canadians.

These commitments are reflected in everything that we do, including the activities that I have discussed with you today in reference to our 2017-18 supplementary estimates (B).

Thank you very much.

I will be happy to answer any questions committee members may have.

[The Chair, Liberal, Rob Oliphant]

Thank you, Minister, for that.

Mr. Anandasangaree, you have seven minutes.

[Gary Anandasangaree, Liberal, Scarborough—Rouge Park, ON]

Thank you, Mr. Chair.

Minister and panel, welcome this morning.

Minister, you indicated that the supplementary estimates include $4.4 million in funding to strengthen the process of claiming asylum in Canada. Does that include any funds for the IRB?

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

I will let my officials answer that question.

[Marta Morgan, Deputy Minister, Department of Citizenship and Immigration]

The funding provided to strengthen the process of claiming asylum in Canada is related to the ministerial reviews and interventions pilot program established in 2012. It provides funding for the department to support the strategic objective of refugee reform. It was undertaken at the time to deter abuse and protect the integrity of Canada's refugee protection system. It's the continuation of ongoing funding that was provided at that time on a pilot basis and has now been made a permanent feature.

[Gary Anandasangaree, Liberal, Scarborough—Rouge Park, ON]

Thank you.

Earlier this year we had about 6,000 legacy cases in the pipeline, if I'm not mistaken, some of them for close to 10 years. I know there's a program in place. Can you indicate how the processing is going and what kinds of timelines we can expect, and can you give us an update on the remaining inventory of cases?

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

The inventory was approximately 5,000 cases. The thinking at the time was to put together a special task force to deal only with the legacy cases, and the IRB was able to do that. They put together a legacy task force. They posted information publicly that suggested they could get through the legacy backlog in two years.

Obviously that doesn't mean that everyone will be processed in two years; some peoples' hearing will be even earlier than that. They also anticipate some of those cases will not be considered because they would either have been withdrawn by the individuals involved or would be regularized in some other fashion, through spousal or something like that.

As of October 31, 2017, the legacy backlog had 4,917 cases. That's a drop from the original number, which was around 5,600 people.

[Gary Anandasangaree, Liberal, Scarborough—Rouge Park, ON]

Do you have an indication of how many of the 4,917 have been scheduled for hearings?

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

I don't have that information, but I welcome my officials to jump in.

[Marta Morgan]

We have a couple of people from the IRB here.

[Greg Kipling, Director General, Policy, Planning and Corporate Affairs Branch, Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada]

About 1,000 are scheduled till March.

[Gary Anandasangaree, Liberal, Scarborough—Rouge Park, ON]

Minister, just this week, on December 3, you announced an action plan—

[Greg Kipling]

If I could just clarify—

[The Chair, Liberal, Rob Oliphant]

I invite you to join the table, sir, and to introduce yourself.

[Greg Kipling]

Of course, yes.

My name is Greg Kipling. I'm the director general for policy, planning, and corporate affairs at the IRB.

As a quick clarification, 1,094 cases are currently ready to proceed—I'm just going to get the numbers here—and 450 hearings have already been held. Several hundred are scheduled. I don't have the precise figure, but we've been going through a process of ensuring hearing readiness for all the cases in the inventory, and as I indicated, just over 1,000 are ready to proceed and are being placed progressively on the schedule. We're certainly on track for finalizing the bulk of those cases in accordance with our schedule of two years.

[The Chair, Liberal, Rob Oliphant]

You'll get more time.

We recognize the independent nature of the board from the department.

[Gary Anandasangaree, Liberal, Scarborough—Rouge Park, ON]

I'd like to direct a question to you, Mr. Kipling.

Are you indicating that most of the 4,917 cases will be processed by the end of 2018?

[Greg Kipling]

When the task force was established, there was a two-year timeline starting in late spring, early summer, or summer 2017. I think we're talking 2019 until all those cases are finalized, because it's over a two-year period that the task force is operating.

[Gary Anandasangaree, Liberal, Scarborough—Rouge Park, ON]

It would be the end of 2019 or before?

[Greg Kipling]

I would say in the summer or fall of 2019.

[Gary Anandasangaree, Liberal, Scarborough—Rouge Park, ON]

Thank you.

Minister, with respect to your recent announcement on the live-in caregiver program, can you indicate to us how your announcement with respect to processing will help families who are trying to reunite, and how it will ensure that we treat our live-in caregivers in a very fair and just way?

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

As far as I'm concerned, and as far as we are all concerned, we were very careful to listen to the caregiver community directly. They told us they had essentially been forgotten for the last number of years. Their cases were not being processed and there were no adequate resources being put into their pile, so we prioritized that.

I was very happy to give the caregiver community an update, together with many of my colleagues who echoed the same announcement, that for the backlog of real people who have been waiting patiently for years in the old live-in caregiver program—the remaining number is about 23,000 cases—we will be able to process 80% of it by the end of 2018. We were also encouraging eligible and interested new caregivers and their family members to apply under the two new streams of caregiver applications, which are much faster than the old live-in caregiver program.

[Gary Anandasangaree, Liberal, Scarborough—Rouge Park, ON]

I have one very small question, Minister.

I know Bill C-6 went into implementation this fall. Can you indicate to us how that's progressing and what kind of reaction you've had from those who are being assisted by Bill C-6?

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

I know that the department is expecting an increase in the number of applications for citizenship, because a lot of people are waiting for those changes.

I'll invite the officials to give an update.