Thank you.
Evidence of meeting #32 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 ircc.
A recording is available from Parliament.
Evidence of meeting #32 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 ircc.
A recording is available from Parliament.
4:25 p.m.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Salma Zahid
Thank you, Mr. Khurana.
The time is up for Mr. El-Khoury.
We will now proceed to Mr. Brunelle-Duceppe for two minutes.
Mr. Brunelle-Duceppe, you can begin.
4:25 p.m.
Bloc
Alexis Brunelle-Duceppe Bloc Lac-Saint-Jean, QC
Thank you, Madam Chair.
Mr. Thorne, in light of your experience, do processing times increase when there is a humanitarian crisis? Earlier, someone suggested an emergency mechanism that could be set up.
When crises happen, such as the situation in Afghanistan or in Ukraine, IRCC officers are called upon to help. That means that all the other files can't be processed, due to a shortage of employees. During the Afghan crisis, I believe that between 15 and 25% of IRCC officers were redeployed to work on the Afghan files.
What do you think of this?
4:30 p.m.
Executive Director, Veterans Transition Network
Thank you very much for the question.
Again, I can only answer with my knowledge specifically about the special immigration measures program. Our involvement in this special project to assist Afghan interpreters is the only interaction that our organization has had with IRCC to date.
Yes, I believe IRCC was struggling and continues to struggle with insufficient resources to cover the backlog of applications and the additional flow of applications that came in from the special immigration measures program. We've been in touch with IRCC for a year now, communicating with them on a regular basis. We know they're working hard. We're receiving messages from them after hours. We know that they are working at their limit, but it seems to me that there are insufficient staffing resources to cover this influx of applications.
4:30 p.m.
Bloc
Alexis Brunelle-Duceppe Bloc Lac-Saint-Jean, QC
Mr. Thorne, the federal government is talking about bringing 40,000 Afghan refugees to Canada.
Do you think that this target will be met?
4:30 p.m.
Executive Director, Veterans Transition Network
I think we will reach that target, but the question is when.
I spoke earlier in my statement about the cost to Canadian veterans and the cost to organizations supporting the Afghans. Every day that these individuals remain in Afghanistan, they are living in uncertainty and in a state of trauma that will make their transition more difficult—
4:30 p.m.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Salma Zahid
I'm sorry for interrupting, Mr. Thorne, but the time is up for Mr. Brunelle-Duceppe.
We will now end our panel with two minutes for Ms. Kwan.
Ms. Kwan, you may please begin.
4:30 p.m.
NDP
Jenny Kwan NDP Vancouver East, BC
Thank you, Madam Chair.
What I'm hearing from all the witnesses is that there is little transparency within IRCC. In fact, there is little accountability within IRCC. The only way to really get at it is for an independent office to look into this.
My question is for all three witnesses.
Would you support the call for an independent ombudsperson on immigration so that we can ensure accountability and transparency within IRCC? Perhaps you could even make recommendations on how to enhance immigration policies in Canada.
4:30 p.m.
Executive Director, Veterans Transition Network
I would be supportive, I think, insofar as it does not further hamper the efforts of IRCC to do their job and process these applications. Certainly, for the folks we are helping that is where the rubber meets the road.
Yes, I would be supportive in a review that would provide helpful recommendations provided that it does not hamper their efforts.
4:30 p.m.
Chairman, Toronto Business Development Centre
Yes, I would be supportive. I definitely think there's merit to that suggestion.
4:30 p.m.
NDP
Jenny Kwan NDP Vancouver East, BC
Thank you.
If you had an opportunity to tell the government to address the backlog, what is your number one priority that they need to take action on?
I'll start with Mr. Allos.
4:30 p.m.
Director, Catholic Refugee Sponsors' Council
We need to look at the retention numbers. Every year 200,000 Canadians are leaving Canada, and we have to bring in more immigrants to cover for those. We need to find out why Canadians are leaving the country.
4:30 p.m.
Executive Director, Veterans Transition Network
I would close by saying expedited applications are an upstream intervention to prevent traumatic social and other detrimental costs to our society and to new Canadians coming to Canada.
I implore the government to provide IRCC with the resources it needs to expedite these applications as much as possible.
Thank you.
4:30 p.m.
NDP
4:30 p.m.
Liberal
4:30 p.m.
Liberal
Fayçal El-Khoury Liberal Laval—Les Îles, QC
Just for the record, there is a small mistake I would like to correct. I said there were two planes from Ukraine. In reality, they were from Afghanistan.
Thank you.
4:30 p.m.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Salma Zahid
This panel will now come to an end.
Mr. Khurana, were you trying to say something?
4:35 p.m.
Chairman, Toronto Business Development Centre
Yes. Very quickly, we need to modernize our processing systems. That will help the backlogs as well.
4:35 p.m.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Salma Zahid
With that, on behalf of all the members of this committee I want to thank all the witnesses for appearing before the committee and providing important information as we continue our study on the processing times.
You can stay on if you want to for the second panel, or you can leave.
I will suspend the meeting for a few minutes so we can do the sound check for the next panel.
Thank you.
4:35 p.m.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Salma Zahid
I call the meeting back to order.
Before we begin our second panel, I want to ask for members' approval for two motions.
The first one is:
That the clerk of the committee make the necessary hospitality arrangements for an informal luncheon meeting with the Parliamentary Committee for Labour and Social Affairs of the German Bundestag from 12:30 p.m. to 2:00 p.m. on Wednesday, October 5, 2022 in Room 430 Wellington Building.
(Motion agreed to)
The second motion is:
That the clerk of the committee be authorized to purchase an appropriate gift to be presented to the visiting delegation from the Bundestag.
(Motion agreed to)
Now we can begin our second panel. I would like to welcome our witnesses for this panel.
Today, we are joined by Adrienne Foster, vice-president of policy and public affairs at the Hotel Association of Canada. We are also joined by Claire Launay, president of Le Québec c’est nous aussi. The third witness for this panel is Dr. Janet Bigland-Pritchard, coordinator of the migration office at the Roman Catholic Diocese of Saskatoon.
On behalf of all of the members, I would like to welcome all of you. You will have five minutes for your opening remarks, and then we will go into a round of questioning.
We will begin with Madam Foster.
You have five minutes for your opening remarks. The floor is yours.