Evidence of meeting #103 for Citizenship and Immigration in the 44th Parliament, 1st Session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was kongers.
A video is available from Parliament.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Sukh Dhaliwal
I call this meeting to order. We are meeting in public.
Welcome to meeting number 103 of the House of Commons Standing Committee on Citizenship and Immigration.
Pursuant to Standing Order 108(2) and the motions adopted by the committee on February 12, 2024, and May 1, 2024, the committee is commencing its study of pension transferability and access to the mandatory provident fund, and delays in permanent residence and visas for Hong Kongers.
Liberal
Paul Chiang Liberal Markham—Unionville, ON
Chair, the translation is not working.
The English is coming in French, and the French is also coming in French.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Sukh Dhaliwal
Okay, now it is all good.
Before we begin, I would like to ask all members and other in-person participants to consult the green and white card on the table for guidelines to prevent audio feedback incidents. Please take note of the following preventive measures in place to protect the health and safety of all participants, including the interpreters. Only use an approved black earpiece. Keep your earpiece away from all microphones at all times. When you are not using your earpiece, place it face down on the sticker placed on the table for this purpose. Thank you all for your co-operation.
Today's meeting is taking place in a hybrid format.
In accordance with the committee's routine motion concerning connection tests for witnesses, I'm informing the committee that all witnesses have completed those in advance of the meeting.
I would like to make a few comments for the benefit of the members and the witnesses.
Please wait until I recognize you by name before speaking. For members in the room, please raise your hand if you wish to speak. For members on Zoom, please use the “raise hand” function. The clerk and I will manage the speaking order as best we can, and we appreciate your understanding in this regard.
I remind you that all comments should be addressed through the chair.
Before I go to the witnesses, I would love to welcome Mr. Falk, Mr. Rogers, Mr. Longfield and Madam Dhillon to the committee. I'm looking forward to having good conversations.
Before we begin, we have prepared a draft budget regarding the study of pension transferability and access to the MPF, and delays in permanent residence and visas for Hong Kongers, in the amount of $5,000.
The motion to adopt this budget has been moved. All in favour?
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Sukh Dhaliwal
It is carried.
Now I would like to welcome our witnesses for the first panel.
From Canada-Hong Kong Link, we have Mr. Andy Wong, president. From Hong Kong Watch, we have Aileen Calverley, co-founder and chair. From Vancouver Society In Support of Democratic Movement, we have my dear friend, from my neck of the woods, Madam Mabel Tung, chair. Welcome to you all.
Up to five minutes will be given to each witness for the opening remarks, after which we will proceed with rounds of questions. We will begin with Mr. Wong from Canada-Hong Kong Link.
You will have up to five minutes for your opening statement. Please go ahead, Mr. Wong.
Andy Wong President, Canada-Hong Kong Link
Thank you, Chair.
Good morning, esteemed members of Parliament. I'm Andy Wong, president of Canada-Hong Kong Link. We are a non-partisan, non-profit organization established in 1997. We promote freedom and democracy in Hong Kong, and we stand on guard for Canada's democracy. Thank you for having me.
I thank this committee for again showing concern for Hong Kongers' situation. Hong Kong is increasingly totalitarian. Hong Kong's national security police are monitoring Hong Kongers in the U.K. and here in Canada.
The Hong Kong pathway is supposed to provide security and freedom from fear to fleeing Hong Kongers. However, severe delays in the pathway are causing more insecurity and uncertainty in life. Without PR status, Hong Kongers cannot truly settle. Their immigration status is not permanent. Hong Kongers are afraid they may have to go back to Hong Kong and, in fear of being monitored by Hong Kong and China, cannot truly enjoy their freedom and human rights in Canada. PR is a ticket to a new life in the free world.
Due to the delays in PR and work permit application processes, a lot of applicants have fallen into “maintained” status for over half a year. This is the most unsettling status. They hold work authorization letters that expire in only 180 days. Many employers and other levels of government do not recognize this letter. They are constantly being asked for their new permit by employers or HR departments, school boards, health care ministries, etc. Each is threatening that, if applicants do not have a new permit soon, they will lose their job, income, health care or education for their kids, and some really have lost them.
Our data shows that most people who applied for PR in May 2023 or later are processed very slowly, and in a number of cases know, from inquiries, that their PR applications have passed all stages but results are not released. We don't know why applications are being held up. A lot of these cases are in the Niagara Falls office, and half-jokingly, applicants said their cases were thrown down the falls. Some of these applicants have been here for more than three years now—two years of study and more than one year of waiting.
The processing time of the H and C category, including Hong Kong pathway cases, is now 24 months. In every quarter of 2023 there were over 1,000 Hong Kongers getting PR through the pathway. In the first quarter of this year there were just 335. Where is priority processing? Why are things slowing down when there is a huge backlog of over 9,000? How many years do they have to wait to get their PR? Is the Hong Kong pathway expedited, as promised by the government when responding to this committee?
To sum up, we have three demands: First, expedite the PR application process, and if that is really related, increase the PR admission targets for H and C consideration; two, automatically renew work permits for Hong Kong pathway applicants so that they can get out of maintained status; and three, in view of the worsening situation in Hong Kong, extend the policy of open work permits for Hong Kong recent graduates to 2027 and the Hong Kong pathway to 2028. Without PR, Hong Kongers are not able to get their MPF back. They're not really settled, even financially, so I hope this committee will reflect this.
Thank you very much, and I look forward to answering your questions.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Sukh Dhaliwal
Thank you very much. That's perfect timing: four minutes and 50 seconds.
Now we go to Madam Calverley for five minutes. Please go ahead.
Aileen Calverley Co-Founder and Chair, Hong Kong Watch
Good morning, Chair and parliamentarians.
Canada offers a lifeboat scheme to Hong Kongers seeking refuge in Canada.
Liberal
Liberal
Paul Chiang Liberal Markham—Unionville, ON
The translation is coming in French now, instead of English.
Co-Founder and Chair, Hong Kong Watch
I would like to highlight two challenges faced by immigrants from Hong Kong.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Sukh Dhaliwal
Good. Let's start from the top. Let me reset the watch. Here we go.
Please go ahead.
Co-Founder and Chair, Hong Kong Watch
Canada offers a light bulb scheme to Hong Kongers seeking refuge in Canada. I would like to highlight two challenges faced by immigrants from Hong Kong.
The first one is on the MPF. The ongoing prevention of Hong Kongers from withdrawing their own retirement savings from the mandatory provident fund is a clear form of transnational repression. It is unjust that even Hong Kongers who have obtained their PR status are facing challenges in accessing their own savings.
A Hong Konger who obtained Canadian PR applied to withdraw their MPF savings from Manulife but was denied simply because they arrived in Canada with their BNO passport. On the Canadian PR card—you can see the picture—under nationality it clearly states GBN, which means they are a British national overseas. This individual, like many others, is being denied their rightful access to their own savings.
The MPF is a compulsory retirement savings scheme in Hong Kong. It allows Hong Kongers to withdraw their own retirement savings early if they depart Hong Kong permanently. Manulife and Sun Life, two Canadian MPF trustees, are blocking thousands of Hong Kongers from accessing an estimated 1.5 billion dollars' worth of retirement savings. Research by Hong Kong Watch shows that over 80% of surveyed Hong Kongers who have permanently migrated to the U.K. and Canada and applied for MPF withdrawal have been rejected.
The grounds for rejection are often based on arguments that BNO passports and visas are not valid travel documents or do not demonstrate permission to reside outside Hong Kong. Despite the Hong Kong government MPFA releasing a statement in 2021 no longer recognizing the BNO passport, the MPF-related legislation in terms of the deeds governing entitlement to MPF benefits remain unchanged.
Under the MPF, trustees like Manulife and Sun Life have a legal obligation to release the savings to beneficiaries who can provide evidence of the right to reside in a foreign country. The BNO passport is a U.K.-issued document and the BNO visa is not a temporary work permit. It provides routes to permanent settlement and British citizenship. Denying individuals with BNO passports their rightful access to their own savings is a violation of their fundamental rights. We cannot ignore this injustice. I urge parliamentarians to investigate this pressing issue and stand with the people of Hong Kong.
On the second issue, I would like to talk about the Hong Kong pathway. I'm here to represent two groups of Hong Kongers consisting of over 1,000 members who applied for stream A and stream B PR applications. Our objective is to request an increase in admissions targets, clear the existing backlog and ensure priority processing.
There are approximately 60,000 Hong Kongers under the Hong Kong pathway. In the first quarter of this year, 335 applicants were granted PR. As of now, there are close to 9,000 pending PR applications. The Hong Kong pathway operates under the humanitarian category. IRCC has set the admission target for H and C at 13,750 in 2024, but the allocation for the Hong Kong pathway remains unknown.
As we advocate an increase in admissions targets for the Hong Kong pathway, it is crucial for IRCC to recognize the urgency of the situation, approve all PR applications submitted in 2023 within the next two years, and honour our commitment to the Hong Kong community.
Thank you.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Sukh Dhaliwal
Thank you very much.
Now we will go to Madam Mabel Tung from my neck of the woods.
Mabel, you have five minutes. Please go ahead.
Mabel Tung Chair, Vancouver Society in Support of Democratic Movement
Thank you for having me here. I am Mabel Tung, chair of the Vancouver Society in Support of Democratic Movement, VSSDM. Our organization was founded after the Beijing Tiananmen Square massacre on June 4, 1989. Our mission is for advocacy and the advancement of democracy, freedom, human rights and the rule of law.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Sukh Dhaliwal
I'm going to have to interrupt you for a second, please.
I will give the floor to Mr. Kmiec.
Mr. Kmiec, do you have something to say?
Conservative
Tom Kmiec Conservative Calgary Shepard, AB
I didn't want to interrupt Mabel. I was just saying that we should raise the volume in the room so we can hear more clearly.
Chair, Vancouver Society in Support of Democratic Movement
Can you hear me now?