Evidence of meeting #37 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 applications.
A recording is available from Parliament.
Executive Director, Canadian Council for Refugees
It would depend on how it was framed. If it was a time-specific one.... Sometimes programs say you have to be in the country by such a date to benefit. Then, obviously, it doesn't create so much of a pull factor.
Conservative
Michelle Rempel Conservative Calgary Nose Hill, AB
If that were to happen, is your organization recommending that the refugee review process, going forward, be changed to sort of, in general, extend long-term that type of regularization into the system?
Executive Director, Canadian Council for Refugees
As I said, our recommendations are not really related specifically to refugee claimants, but more to the various different circumstances in which people find themselves in Canada. We think it is good to have an ongoing situation, so we don't keep on creating situations in which people remain here for many, many years without status.
Conservative
Michelle Rempel Conservative Calgary Nose Hill, AB
I guess I'll just be blunt in where I am coming from. I think the government has failed to provide pathways to permanent residency for classes like temporary foreign workers. I find the name of that program pejorative in its nature. I am worried that if the government talks about regularization, or amnesty, for refugee claimants whose claims have been denied, and our country finds it safe for them to return to their house, this will become a very politically polarizing issue.
The point of the program, and some of the objectives that your organization is working on, might become very politically polarized. It's important for organizations like yours to have a clear position on this issue. I'm just trying to give you an opportunity to avail yourself of a clear position in that regard.
Executive Director, Canadian Council for Refugees
As I said, our position is outlined in the submission we have provided, and it's available online.
Conservative
Michelle Rempel Conservative Calgary Nose Hill, AB
Does your organization support amnesty for refugee applications that have been denied, where Canada has determined that it is safe for them to return to their home country?
Executive Director, Canadian Council for Refugees
There could be many reasons somebody might have been denied refugee status, but then sometimes there are gender-based reasons, for example, women who have not been able to bring forward the gender-based aspects in refugee claims.
Conservative
Michelle Rempel Conservative Calgary Nose Hill, AB
Isn't that a deficiency with the refugee selection review process, as opposed to a rationale for amnesty?
Executive Director, Canadian Council for Refugees
Well, there are many deficiencies in the refugee determination system. We would also like to see the refugee determination system reformed, so that there are fewer people—
Conservative
Michelle Rempel Conservative Calgary Nose Hill, AB
Is that perhaps, though, a better route than saying that civil society and politicians should be declaring amnesty on groups whose applications were rejected by public servants?
Conservative
Michelle Rempel Conservative Calgary Nose Hill, AB
Well, you kind of did. I think it's important for organizations such as yours, that have a big footprint in this space, to be clear on this issue. I certainly wouldn't like to have us sitting here in a big political fight when the lives of refugees and perceptions are at stake.
At the close of my time, I would just, for the record, express concern, particularly for this committee, on how the committee undertakes a recommendation in this regard.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Salma Zahid
Ms. Rempel Garner's time is up. We will now proceed to Ms. Diab.
Ms. Diab, you will have five minutes for your round of questioning. You can begin, please.
Liberal
Lena Metlege Diab Liberal Halifax West, NS
Thank you very much, Madam Chair.
First, let me welcome all three witnesses to our committee, where we're continuing to study backlogs and processing times for all immigration streams.
Let me start off with Ms. Dench. On behalf of the Canadian Council of Refugees, a brief was submitted. I read it with a lot of interest because, on the provincial side, I worked quite a bit with refugees as well as all immigration streams. It was entitled “Accepted refugees: on hold and separated from their families”, and in it you urged the minister to strengthen family reunification by introducing electronic applications, specifically suggesting that refugee family reunification and not only family class should have electronic applications.
Let me specifically ask this: In your opinion, should IRCC proceed with electronic applications for refugees who seek family reunification? Do you believe that the electronic applications would allow for a more speedy process? Would they be processed, do you think, more speedily? What about resources to complete these forms and permit separated families to have more direct channels of communication with IRCC officials?
Executive Director, Canadian Council for Refugees
In terms of family reunification for refugees, we have worked with the department on various mechanisms to try to speed up the processing. One of the things they have been looking at is potentially processing in Canada, along the lines of what Ms. Long was talking about also.
The problem, which is what we are highlighting in our brief, is that you can have efficient processing, but if the levels prevent people from being landed, it doesn't matter how efficient your processing is. They are still going to wait until next year. That's what happens. If the levels are set for only 24,500 this year, once they have landed that number of people, they are not going to process any more until the next year. The levels are the key issue there.
In terms of the second point, in terms of having some way to talk to somebody, that is a crying need. We are constantly hearing from people about where the thing seems to have gotten lost somewhere, where it's incomprehensible why it's not moving forward in the correct way, or where there has been some sort of misunderstanding, yet it's so difficult to speak to anybody in the immigration department.
Liberal
Lena Metlege Diab Liberal Halifax West, NS
Let me bring you back to family reunification. The brief, obviously, talks about a number of mothers' not being united with their children. That is a case with refugees but also other people who are in Canada and are awaiting processing.
I guess the question I'm trying to ask.... I'm thinking you're going to say they should all be treated the same, I guess, regardless of the reason or how they got into Canada, whether it's as a refugee claimant or a temporary resident, or regardless of the stream they came in. We need to put family reunification in terms of processing times all at an equal level. Would you agree with that?
Executive Director, Canadian Council for Refugees
Yes, I think part of what we're saying is that refugee families should not be treated worse than families that are coming through the family class. That is currently the case. There are processing standards for family class, but there are none for refugee family reunification, and that has consequences and leads to longer delays.
Liberal
Lena Metlege Diab Liberal Halifax West, NS
Thank you very much.
Ms. Long, let me ask you. You practised law for a long time and have appeared in front of this committee, I think, before as well.
Are you seeing any improvements?
Barrister and Solicitor, Long Mangalji LLP, As an Individual
Improvements in processing times? Not currently. Currently, everything is backlogged.
I think the improvement in being online is an improvement from before.
Liberal
Lena Metlege Diab Liberal Halifax West, NS
With respect to the clients you have served, what's the most important recommendation that you would like to see come out of this report?
Barrister and Solicitor, Long Mangalji LLP, As an Individual
One is the standards for the criteria with regard to how officers are evaluating overseas applications for a temporary resident. There is too much discretion. There are not enough standard operating guidelines for the workers.
The second one—
October 21st, 2022 / 1:55 p.m.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Salma Zahid
I'm sorry for interrupting, Ms. Long, but the time is up for Ms. Diab.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Salma Zahid
We will now to proceed to Mr. Brunelle-Duceppe for two and a half minutes. Please begin.
Bloc
Alexis Brunelle-Duceppe Bloc Lac-Saint-Jean, QC
Thank you, Madam Chair.
Ladies, you are experts in your respective fields. As politicians, our job is to listen to you and make sure that the report we write is really going to reflect what you have told us.
The idea of creating an immigration ombudsman is gaining momentum, even though not everyone agrees with it.
I'd like to hear from the three witnesses on that.
Ms. Roman, you may begin.