Citizenship and Immigration Committee on May 27th, 2024

[Marc Miller, Liberal, Ville-Marie—Le Sud-Ouest—Île-des-Soeurs, QC]

Mr. Brunelle‑Duceppe, thank you for the work you did in raising this very important aspect of how Canada response to crises. Needless to say, taking action at the right time is absolutely essential when there's an emergency and lives are in danger.

Your assumption that no work had been done on it is wrong. I spoke with my colleagues in the provinces two weeks ago about the process of coordination with the provinces and its importance. We discussed it at length, because we have to make sure that the welcoming process is done properly and that these newcomers are appropriately located, particularly in those provinces with a high population density. We need to ensure that the manner in which they are welcomed meets the expectations of Canadians.

The assistant deputy minister responsible for this crisis unit is here with us. She suggested that she could go and meet you to talk about it if you wished. We could go into the matter in further detail. We haven't yet publicly announced the definitive framework, but I can assure you that it is being worked on and approaching completion.

[Alexis Brunelle-Duceppe, Bloc, Lac-Saint-Jean, QC]

I'd be happy to give you my work plan again, minister, so that your department can get going on it.

I believe that there's a lot of diplomacy going on behind the scenes in Gaza. Is Canada's diplomatic pressure currently strong enough in terms of humanitarian aid? According to our NGOs, it's not visible and they can no longer do their work. They don't have the impression that the Government of Canada is providing assistance to the on-site humanitarian organizations.

[Marc Miller, Liberal, Ville-Marie—Le Sud-Ouest—Île-des-Soeurs, QC]

You have numbers showing that Canada is doing an enormous amount of work. I don't think there's anything to be cheerful about, of course, given the devastation occurring in Gaza. But we're not going to stop working.

You know, Canada is important; people pay attention to what it has to say, and Israel, among other countries, listens. We use this power to good effect. But then even superpowers like the United States have been unsuccessful in spite of all their efforts. So I also think that it's important to be realistic.

That doesn't mean that we're going to stop trying. There are several things we can do to contribute, whether in terms of funding for NGOs or ongoing diplomatic efforts by Minister Joly or Minister Hussen.

It's clear that we have to continue our efforts given the disastrous situation in Gaza.

[Alexis Brunelle-Duceppe, Bloc, Lac-Saint-Jean, QC]

You may or may not agree with me, but some of those concrete things Canada can do pertain to weapons sales. When new hostilities broke out recently between Azerbaijan and Armenia, Canada suspended its weapons and technology sales to Turkey. Over the past few months, the Bloc Québécois has been requesting that, in compliance with Canadian legislation on weapons sales, evidence be provided that Canadian weapons and technology are not being used by Israeli military forces against Palestinian civilians. In the meantime, all such sales should be suspended.

The announcement that non-lethal equipment, but not lethal equipment, would continue to be sold, was favourably received. But the fact is that equipment like night-vision goggles and guided observation drones could become lethal.

Can you confirm that sales of all such indirect weapons that could end up killing civilians will be suspended for as long as this conflict lasts, assuming that it will end one day, of course?

[Marc Miller, Liberal, Ville-Marie—Le Sud-Ouest—Île-des-Soeurs, QC]

As you know, the Wassenaar Arrangement is an international protocol. For all dual-use goods and technologies, there has to be an assurance that they will not be used for military purposes.

You are of course aware of the fact that the sale of weapons has been suspended. The question could be raised once again with Minister Joly, but if I'm not mistaken, since January—

[Alexis Brunelle-Duceppe, Bloc, Lac-Saint-Jean, QC]

Various items of equipment that are not on this list of prohibited weapons could be used indirectly to kill people. From what I understand, we interpret an international agreement, but Canada does not wish to play a leading role in this area.

You are well aware, minister, that Canada is neither a military nor an economic powerhouse, but it has nevertheless played a leading role in human rights—it's a Quebec sovereigntist who's telling you.

When we were told that Canada was back—

[The Chair, Liberal, Sukh Dhaliwal]

The time is up, and I would ask the minister to respond briefly.

[Alexis Brunelle-Duceppe, Bloc, Lac-Saint-Jean, QC]

The only real question, minister, is whether in terms of human rights, Canada is actually doing something?

[Marc Miller, Liberal, Ville-Marie—Le Sud-Ouest—Île-des-Soeurs, QC]

Mr. Chair, that's more a statement in the form of a question.

[The Chair, Liberal, Sukh Dhaliwal]

Thank you very much.

Now I will go to MP Kwan for six minutes.

[Jenny Kwan, NDP, Vancouver East, BC]

Thank you very much, Mr. Chair.

Thank you to the minister and officials for finally coming back to this committee.

Just to be very clear, Netanyahu is committing a war crime. As we know from what we're seeing in the news with what's happening, civilians are being targeted. There's an act of genocide taking place right now, and Canada should be doing everything that it can to support the Palestinian community and be more precise to hold Netanyahu to account in accordance with the International Criminal Court.

I want to turn to the immigration issue for a second.

On the last appearance on March 20, we were informed that 986 applications have been processed. The NDP has also submitted an order paper question that indicates that, as of April 24, that number remains the same.

Between April 24 and May 26, has that number changed? If so, what is that number now?

[Marc Miller, Liberal, Ville-Marie—Le Sud-Ouest—Île-des-Soeurs, QC]

This is for Gaza. The number of TRV applications that have been accepted into processing is 2,903. That is the stretch of time between when the pathway was launched on January 9 and May 24, 2024.

[Jenny Kwan, NDP, Vancouver East, BC]

Is this under the special immigration measure and not outside of the special immigration measure?

[Marc Miller, Liberal, Ville-Marie—Le Sud-Ouest—Île-des-Soeurs, QC]

Outside that, there would be more, but this is within this particular measure.

[Jenny Kwan, NDP, Vancouver East, BC]

Out of that, how many have crossed the border with the government's help?

[Marc Miller, Liberal, Ville-Marie—Le Sud-Ouest—Île-des-Soeurs, QC]

As you know, the program was designed, and I mentioned it to MP Zahid, to work with COGAT to get them out. People who have exited have had to do it themselves.

On a very individual and ad hoc basis, we have used our advocacy to get individuals out for medical reasons or other consular reasons, but that is not as part of the policy.

[Jenny Kwan, NDP, Vancouver East, BC]

Is the answer then none?

[Marc Miller, Liberal, Ville-Marie—Le Sud-Ouest—Île-des-Soeurs, QC]

Under this policy, the answer is none.

[Jenny Kwan, NDP, Vancouver East, BC]

Okay.

As of March 20, 287 names have been submitted to COGAT and no one has been approved to date. Has that number changed? How many names have been submitted?

[Marc Miller, Liberal, Ville-Marie—Le Sud-Ouest—Île-des-Soeurs, QC]

I think there's an important clarification to that number, and we can give it to you in more detail, because I don't want to eat up all the time. We do list and relist, based on our knowledge of people who have exited or not, who are no longer part of that. We continue on a routine basis to submit that list, updated, and it hasn't changed from those numbers really in a material way, but it may comprise different people as part of it.

[Jenny Kwan, NDP, Vancouver East, BC]

It's just at 287?

[Marc Miller, Liberal, Ville-Marie—Le Sud-Ouest—Île-des-Soeurs, QC]

Right, but those—

[Jenny Kwan, NDP, Vancouver East, BC]

Okay.

[Marc Miller, Liberal, Ville-Marie—Le Sud-Ouest—Île-des-Soeurs, QC]

Hang on. Let's not presume that those persons—

[Jenny Kwan, NDP, Vancouver East, BC]

No, I understand what you're saying. I understood that.