Citizenship and Immigration Committee on Nov. 18th, 2022

[Brad Redekopp, Conservative, Saskatoon West, SK]

Yes.

[Sean Fraser, Liberal, Central Nova, NS]

I view that to be very dangerous. Sometimes, on the ground in those social circles, it can in fact involve human smuggling. I think we should be very clear that there's very dangerous behaviour that forms part of this.

When we're dealing with behaviour and conduct that's taking place in another country's borders, we need to work with the government of those other countries. I don't think it would be the best use of my time to personally infiltrate the social circles of organizations or entrepreneurs—to use your lingo—to try to interrupt that kind of flow of people who are trying to make, in some instances, asylum claims that are potentially not justified.

We need to make sure that we have clarity in the rules and that we broadcast them through local governments. If we can find stakeholder organizations through partners with those organizations that allow us to get that message out there more forcefully, then we would do so.

I sense that we are running out of time, Madam Chair. I don't want to talk out the clock on my colleague here. Is there additional time?

[The Chair, Liberal, Salma Zahid]

No, the time is up for Mr. Redekopp.

Now we will end our panel with Mr. Dhaliwal.

You will have four minutes. Please begin.

[Sukh Dhaliwal, Liberal, Surrey—Newton, BC]

Thank you, Minister, for coming. You are always accessible.

I am going to carry on with Brad's question on the safe third country agreement.

It is my understanding that over 2.5 million individuals have crossed into the U.S. via the U.S.-Mexico border in the past 12 months. Without the safe third country agreement, how would that potentially affect Canada?

[Sean Fraser, Liberal, Central Nova, NS]

It is not just tied to folks who have come through the American border, but the likelihood is that we would see a significant further increase in the number of people who seek to come to Canada for the purpose of making an asylum claim.

For people who wish to come to Canada, we want to encourage them to use regular migration pathways and discourage them from making an asylum claim unless they must. We really do abide by the principle where we encourage people to make an asylum claim in the first country where they are safe, because travelling through a country without status—though they may not be in a particular danger—is still not always a safe thing to do for individuals and for families.

I expect that simply suspending the safe third country agreement would result in a significant increase of people making, in many instances, very dangerous journeys—not just through the United States, by the way, but through many other countries—on a potential pathway to Canada.

[Sukh Dhaliwal, Liberal, Surrey—Newton, BC]

Minister, do you have any thoughts you want to share before I go to my next question?

[Sean Fraser, Liberal, Central Nova, NS]

I would rather deal with your questions, Mr. Dhaliwal.

[Sukh Dhaliwal, Liberal, Surrey—Newton, BC]

Thank you.

You have already mentioned that you don't want to see people using the asylum seeker avenue to gain immigration into Canada, but there are many cases where the refugee's claim has failed. They have been in Canada for many years and they are working. I already asked Ms. Fox, your deputy minister, the same question.

The only avenue that is left after the refugee claim or the asylum claim has failed is the H and C. How would you see these people, who have been working for so long...if we are not going to let them use any other avenue to get into the main stream?

[Sean Fraser, Liberal, Central Nova, NS]

Thank you, Mr. Dhaliwal, for the question.

There are a significant number of people who have been here for many years, who in many instances have children who are Canadian and who have been working and making a contribution and a difference to our communities. We have tried a few things over the past couple of years to provide status for certain individuals who currently don't have status. I'm thinking about the guardian angels program, which allowed frontline health care workers during the pandemic to become regularized to recognize the contribution they made. I'm thinking about the pilot program for out-of-status construction workers in the GTA and Hamilton. That has allowed more people to come out of the shadows and work in a regular way, where they're now contributing and paying taxes and are not afraid to seek such basic services as health care.

We're looking for ways right now to make good on the mandate letter commitment that the Prime Minister assigned to me, which was to expand on those pathways, to provide more regularization opportunities for individuals who are here making contributions and who have deep connections to Canada, and to allow them to live in dignity with permanent residence status. This is not an easy issue to sort through. It requires serious consultation with different stakeholders and provincial and territorial governments as well. We're going to continue to do our policy work to identify opportunities to provide pathways to permanent residence for some of the individuals you've referenced.

[Sukh Dhaliwal, Liberal, Surrey—Newton, BC]

Minister, I have met with people from Quebec in the same situation. Most of them are in the trucking industry. I hope you pay attention to that particular field as well.

It seems that my time will soon be up. Please add your final comments, if you have any.

[Sean Fraser, Liberal, Central Nova, NS]

Well, since you mentioned the trucking industry, though it's not on the question of asylum, I'd point out that just a couple of days ago we launched a revision to the national occupation classification codes that we've had in place. Truckers are now actually eligible to come to Canada through our express entry system. We've now created a regular migration pathway for people who might want to come to Canada through federal economic streams, which may potentially further discourage people coming in through an irregular way.

We need to continue to be a compassionate country. We need to continue to abide by our domestic and international legal obligations. We need to continue to welcome people in regular ways while we respect the laws that bind us for those who are seeking to escape vulnerable circumstances.

It's been a pleasure to be with you all. I thank members of the committee and the chair for having me. I very much look forward to our next opportunity to engage.

[Sukh Dhaliwal, Liberal, Surrey—Newton, BC]

Thank you.

[The Chair, Liberal, Salma Zahid]

Thanks a lot, Minister.

On behalf of all the members of this committee, I really want to thank you for all the work you do on behalf of all Canadians. Thank you for appearing before the committee to provide your testimony in this important study.

Thank you, everyone. I hope all of you have a great weekend.

With that, the meeting is adjourned.