Citizenship and Immigration Committee on May 3rd, 2022

[The Chair, Liberal, Salma Zahid]

I'm sorry for interrupting. All the questions should be directed through the chair.

[Garnett Genuis, Conservative, Sherwood Park—Fort Saskatchewan, AB]

Okay. Thank you, Madam Chair.

For clarity, we're looking for information about which analytics models are being used and where they're being used.

The next request is for any quality assurance reports for each advanced analytics model that is being used by a visa office. Can that be provided?

[Caroline Xavier]

Madam Chair, we are able to provide information with regard to our quality assurance framework and we are able to provide some reports of some of the quality assurance activities that have taken place in the department.

[Garnett Genuis, Conservative, Sherwood Park—Fort Saskatchewan, AB]

Thank you.

Can you provide the current instructions to decision-makers regarding the implementation of the advanced analytics pilot model for any processing centres that are using advanced analytics?

[Caroline Xavier]

As we've previously mentioned to this committee, Madam Chair, we have a framework in place that helps us to put in place an advanced analytics model. We're able to share that playbook. It is available and it gives us the guidance with regard to advanced analytics, assuming that's what is being sought by the member.

[Garnett Genuis, Conservative, Sherwood Park—Fort Saskatchewan, AB]

Thank you.

Can you provide any training manuals or reviews regarding Watchtower and a list of all priority flags that have been used by Chinook, as well as Chinook+ and GCMS Chinook user manuals?

[Caroline Xavier]

Madam Chair, I'm not sure I understand the question exactly. I don't know that we have watchtowers or flags in manuals per se. Perhaps some clarity could be provided on that question.

[Garnett Genuis, Conservative, Sherwood Park—Fort Saskatchewan, AB]

My understanding is that there are priority flags that are used as part of the advanced analytics modules. Many witnesses have asked for lists of those priority flags, as well as user manuals related to these documents.

[Caroline Xavier]

Madam Chair, as I mentioned, we will definitely be able to provide and share the playbook that is provided with regard to the guidance of how we set up advanced analytics. What we will be able to share is which applications are using advanced analytics. As we've mentioned before, advanced analytics are used when we have a repetitive and simplistic analysis of information. It is not used to make decisions.

Again, I'm cautious to respond by saying that we have a document that talks about flags, because I'm not sure if one exists. However, I can always ask my colleague Madame Lang if there's additional information she'd like to provide on that, if that's helpful.

[Garnett Genuis, Conservative, Sherwood Park—Fort Saskatchewan, AB]

You know what? I can come back to this on my next round of questions.

For my final minute, I'd like to share my time with Mr. Seeback, who wants to provide a notice of motion—not to move a motion, but to provide a notice of motion.

I'll resume these questions in my next round. Thank you.

[The Chair, Liberal, Salma Zahid]

Go ahead, Mr. Seeback.

[Kyle Seeback, Conservative, Dufferin—Caledon, ON]

Hi, Madam Chair. It's a pleasure to be back at this committee and to see some of my former colleagues.

I am going to give a verbal notice of motion. It is

That the Standing Committee on Citizenship and Immigration report the following to the House: significant delays in citizenship applications over two years risks disenfranchising Canadians who are waiting for their citizenship in order to vote. This issue is particularly urgent in light of the June 2 Ontario provincial election. The government should move quickly to address this issue so that all Canadians who are eligible for citizenship and who choose to apply are able to parti cipate fully in our democratic life. In light of the situation, the committee requests a response from the minister, by letter, by May 20, outlining the actions taken, and further actions intended.

[The Chair, Liberal, Salma Zahid]

Thank you.

The time is up for Mr. Genuis. Now we will proceed to Mr. El-Khoury.

You have six minutes. You can begin, please.

[Fayçal El-Khoury, Liberal, Laval—Les Îles, QC]

Thank you, Madam Chair.

I want to welcome the witnesses. I thank them for being here to answer our questions.

My first question is for Ms. Xavier.

During the course of this study, several witnesses mentioned that IRCC funds fewer settlement groups that provide assistance to newcomers and racialized immigrants than settlement agencies with broader mandates.

Can you tell us more about IRCC's settlement funding policy?

[Caroline Xavier]

Madam Chair, I thank the member for his question.

More than 500 agencies help us provide assistance to newcomers to this country. These agencies have an agreement with us in which the funds that we have given them and what they are to be used for to give assistance to newcomers are very well defined.

That said, we also do an evaluation on a regular basis of how services are being delivered. Through the established governance, we keep a very close relationship with them. Also, depending on how the newcomer is doing in their community and how the communities themselves are doing, we have the opportunity to talk to the agencies to see if the goals and objectives, as we had defined them in the agreements that we signed, have been met.

In each of the agreements, the expectations are very well detailed. So is the funding and what we expect from it in relation to the objectives.

[Fayçal El-Khoury, Liberal, Laval—Les Îles, QC]

Could you tell us more about the factors used to assess the authenticity of a relationship in family reunification or sponsorship applications?

[Caroline Xavier]

Madam Chair, I thank the member for his question.

The types of relationships that constitute family relationships are very clearly outlined in the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act. There are very clear protocols as to how to identify family relationships and how to ascertain the existence of the relationship.

There is also a program in place to ensure the integrity of the way programs are delivered to newcomers. As I mentioned earlier, we do evaluations fairly regularly to ensure that expectations and goals are being met. We even survey newcomers to see if the expectations they had when they arrived or the promises that were made to them have been met.

We combine all of this information, including the act and the guides we provide to our agents, and we do an assessment to make sure that the newcomers' relationships are legitimate and that the help they receive is legitimate.

[Fayçal El-Khoury, Liberal, Laval—Les Îles, QC]

My next question is for all of the witnesses.

Given the labour shortage and the fact that one study says that a high percentage of immigrants are not chosen for their economic potential, would you please elaborate on the socio-economic challenge of labour and immigration and make a recommendation?

[Caroline Xavier]

Madam Chair, I thank the member for his question.

I could not make any recommendations off the top of my head. However, I can say that, through surveys, studies, analyses and with the support of newcomer organizations, academic institutions and institutions that do research in the field of immigration, we are in the process of assessing and understanding, with our colleagues at Employment and Social Development Canada, the importance of ensuring that immigration demands meet labour needs.

This is part of what we analyze to put in place the immigration plan, which is reviewed and retabled annually in Parliament. By having discussions with our provincial and territorial partners, we make sure that we understand the challenges and where the gaps are so that the immigrants coming to Canada can meet the economic needs primarily, but also the social needs, and so on.

[Fayçal El-Khoury, Liberal, Laval—Les Îles, QC]

My last question is for Ms. Boisclair.

Several witnesses have mentioned the possibility of an intersectional approach within our immigration governance apparatus.

Can you give us your opinion and explain this in more detail, or even make a recommendation to translate this concept into public policy?

[Farah Boisclair, Director, Anti-Racism Task Force, Department of Citizenship and Immigration]

Thank you for the question, Madam Chair.

The department is working on a disaggregated data framework and working with its partners in Statistics Canada to be able to look at disaggregated data within our policy programs and services.

[The Chair, Liberal, Salma Zahid]

Thank you. The time is up.

We will now proceed to Mr. Brunelle-Duceppe.

You have six minutes. Please begin.

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

Thank you, Madam Chair. I'd like to raise a point of order now so I don't have to interrupt people a short while from now.

Since we have already taken the vote, is the committee meeting going to continue until 1 p.m., or 1:30 p.m.?

I think we have the resources to keep going until 1:30 p.m.

[The Chair, Liberal, Salma Zahid]

We can go until 1:30 p.m. That's when we have to stop. It's a hard stop at 1:30 because we don't have services available after that.

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

Is everyone in agreement that we continue the meeting until 1:30 p.m.?