Evidence of meeting #117 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 know.
A video is available from Parliament.
Dr. Harpreet S. Kochhar Deputy Minister, Department of Citizenship and Immigration
Chair, the way the asylum system works is that as soon as there is a claim on asylum, it is assessed by the CBSA or the IRCC, depending upon where the claim is, and accordingly established as a basis of claim.
Conservative
Brad Redekopp Conservative Saskatoon West, SK
Then the hotel is covered once they've applied. Is that what you're saying?
Deputy Minister, Department of Citizenship and Immigration
If it is in Quebec, there is a possibility that PRAIDA will probably house up to 1,150, and if there is an overflow, we will house them in the hotel.
Conservative
Deputy Minister, Department of Citizenship and Immigration
I think....
Soyoung, if you can....
Soyoung Park Assistant Deputy Minister, Asylum and Refugee Resettlement , Department of Citizenship and Immigration
Thank you.
It is not an automatic allowance that asylum claimants would get just because they are asylum claimants. There is the right to claim asylum, and then they would have to identify whether or not they need shelter. As part of that, if they end up in an IRCC hotel, then there would be food as part of being at the hotel.
Conservative
Brad Redekopp Conservative Saskatoon West, SK
Okay, so they can get food. What about transportation? Is there furniture? Is there a household items allowance as well?
Assistant Deputy Minister, Asylum and Refugee Resettlement , Department of Citizenship and Immigration
No, that would not be covered, because they are in the hotel, so there's no furniture that would be required.
Conservative
Brad Redekopp Conservative Saskatoon West, SK
Are asylum claimants eligible, Deputy Minister, for health benefits?
Deputy Minister, Department of Citizenship and Immigration
Yes, asylum claimants are eligible, for the first three months, for the interim federal health program, and then it is determined whether the provinces will give them the necessary coverage.
Conservative
Brad Redekopp Conservative Saskatoon West, SK
Obviously that covers primary health care. Does it cover things like glasses and dental work and that sort of thing?
Deputy Minister, Department of Citizenship and Immigration
It has a very specific primary care component. It does not have.... I don't have the details on hand, Chair, so I can't say whether dental care or glasses are covered, but the primary care is covered.
Conservative
Brad Redekopp Conservative Saskatoon West, SK
We heard last week that it takes 44 months to process an asylum claim at the IRB. How much of today's new spending is going towards the Immigration and Refugee Board to speed up asylum claim processing?
Deputy Minister, Department of Citizenship and Immigration
Chair, the IRB has a separate allowance that is appropriated by the minister. They are a quasi-judicial organization and they have their own money. Our connection to them is to prepare the file and give it to them for further assessment.
Conservative
Brad Redekopp Conservative Saskatoon West, SK
Okay, then you don't know. I understand that no extra money has gone to the IRB to try to speed up claims in this supplemental estimates system.
Talking about asylum seekers, how many asylum seekers in the queue are former international students?
Deputy Minister, Department of Citizenship and Immigration
At the risk of quoting a number, I think what has been seen lately is that there's been an uptick of students who are actually seeking asylum compared to 2023.
Conservative
Brad Redekopp Conservative Saskatoon West, SK
I guess I'm looking for a number. Do you not know the number who are students?
Deputy Minister, Department of Citizenship and Immigration
I do not have it on hand, Chair, but we can provide it.
Conservative
Brad Redekopp Conservative Saskatoon West, SK
You wouldn't know how many arrive as international students or who were originally international students and became asylum seekers. You wouldn't know those numbers.
Deputy Minister, Department of Citizenship and Immigration
We would know how many have arrived. The actual point is we would have to count those who have exhausted their postgraduate work permit and then have applied and as opposed to students who have applied without even completing their studies. We'd have to separate them out.
Conservative
Brad Redekopp Conservative Saskatoon West, SK
Could you provide to the committee how many arrived as international students, how many were originally international students but then transitioned to the postgraduate work program and how many transitioned to some other stream? How many asylum claimants were students but transitioned to another stream?
If you could do that within the next two weeks, that would be great. Thank you.
Is it true that asylum claimants also get a work permit?
Deputy Minister, Department of Citizenship and Immigration
Yes, it is true that they get a work permit.
Conservative
Brad Redekopp Conservative Saskatoon West, SK
Does this policy incentivize people to claim asylum in order to be able to work in Canada legally?
Deputy Minister, Department of Citizenship and Immigration
We have a policy whereby we allow the asylum claimant, while their asylum claim is being processed, to be able to support themselves and integrate into society. That is what it is meant for. It's not supposed to be a pull factor.
Conservative
Brad Redekopp Conservative Saskatoon West, SK
Your department previously released asylum claims by designated learning institutions up to 2022, and the total was less than 5,000 for that year. Of course, now we're seeing more than that every month. Can you table with this committee the updated numbers to that table of asylum claimants by designated learning institution up to the end of October 2024?