I'm so sorry. It happens all the time.
As for me, I would like to draw the committee's attention to the problems associated with family reunification, which is a cornerstone of Canada's immigration system.
Family reunification comes together in different ways. It can involve a Canadian or permanent resident sponsoring a spouse, but also refugees or humanitarian and compassionate refugee protection claimants applying to be reunited with their family members. Unfortunately, there are problems for each of these categories, and these problems have been exacerbated by COVID-19.
Anyone who wants to be reunited with close family members—spouses and children—are forced to wait years before receiving a decision, when the process is opaque and difficult to follow.
Family separation is particularly difficult and has a significant impact on these future Canadians. For example, a refugee protection claimant can easily wait more than two years before receiving a decision from the IRB. It's only after this decision that the individual can include their dependents in their residency application, which can also take two years to be processed and accepted. Who can imagine being separated from their children and spouse for all those years?
During this period, it is impossible for family members to come to Canada on any type of visa, since these applications are systematically rejected, despite the notion of dual intent recognized in the act.
We believe that the government has the capacity to make the process more humane, faster and more transparent—