I call the meeting to order.
Welcome back to meeting number 41 of the House of Commons Standing Committee on Citizenship and Immigration.
We had an amendment on the floor, and I had two people on the speaking list when we suspended the meeting.
Before we go on, just for the sake of clarifying what we are proposing today for the witnesses.... First of all, on behalf of the committee members, I really want to thank you and apologize to you for the delay because of some motions being brought forward and because of the vote. I know that you are really busy and that you took time to come and provide us with your testimony.
Having talked to the witnesses.... Because some have travelled from far away and some are really busy and cannot come back, out of our six witnesses—and just to make sure we have a fulsome discussion on this important topic—some of the witnesses are willing to come back to the meeting.
Based on my discussion, today we will have one panel. We will have Ms. Janet McFetridge, mayor of Champlain, New York; and Appolonie Simbizi, secretary general, Alliance des Burundais du Canada. The third witness for today will be Rema Jamous Imseis, representative in Canada for the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees.
I really want to apologize to the other three. We will reschedule the session. The clerk of the committee will be in touch with the other three witnesses to reschedule the meeting.
My request to the members is that we quickly go through that amendment and that motion so that we can at least have the opportunity to hear from the three witnesses today because it will not be possible for them to come back. We have the mayor all the way from New York.