Evidence of meeting #42 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 safe.
A recording is available from Parliament.
1:15 p.m.
Liberal
Sukh Dhaliwal Liberal Surrey—Newton, BC
It is economically imperative that Canada supports those who are coming to Canada, whether they are coming as immigrants, asylum seekers or refugees.
What are the economic benefits for the entire country because of these people coming to Canada?
1:15 p.m.
Deputy Minister, Department of Citizenship and Immigration
Especially in light of some of the labour challenges we're seeing across the country, immigration is a big part of what Canada's response will be to that.
One thing I would share with the committee is around the issuance of work permits for asylum seekers. As people wait for their processing, which can be timely, this is an important part of how we can integrate these individuals into the workplace. That's something IRCC is very dedicated to doing.
1:15 p.m.
Liberal
Sukh Dhaliwal Liberal Surrey—Newton, BC
Do you have numbers, dollar-wise, for how much the government has budgeted and allocated for the months and years ahead toward the irregular migration that you talked about?
1:15 p.m.
Deputy Minister, Department of Citizenship and Immigration
Yes, absolutely.
I would say we work in very close partnership here at IRCC with the CBSA and the IRB in terms of the processing required for managing the asylum workload. In terms of funding overall, just recently in budget 2022, the government invested $1.3 billion over the next five years and $331.2 million ongoing to the supports required for asylum seekers from all three organizations.
1:20 p.m.
Liberal
Sukh Dhaliwal Liberal Surrey—Newton, BC
What else can the Government of Canada do to assist asylum seekers once they're already in Canada?
1:20 p.m.
Deputy Minister, Department of Citizenship and Immigration
Those supports are essential. It's about access to education, to health care and to social services, like shelters or legal aid.
Really, the government works very closely with provinces and territories because provinces and territories do manage some social supports, as do some municipalities and not-for-profit organizations as well. We work with them and, from a federal government standpoint specifically, I would point to the interim health benefits we offer asylum seekers, as well as the interim support for housing. Again, this is something we do in close collaboration with the provinces, including the Province of Quebec, which has seen a lot of pressure, obviously.
These are the types of things we try to do in terms of supporting. It goes without saying that children who come with their parents seeking asylum do have access to education without any type of permitting being involved.
These are some of the examples of the supports.
I would also say that mental health supports are also included as part of the health supports that are provided.
1:20 p.m.
Liberal
Sukh Dhaliwal Liberal Surrey—Newton, BC
Thank you.
I'm sure you have heard that there are many refugee claimants whose claims were dismissed. They are still in Canada and the government can't send them back to their respective countries where they have come from. They have contributed enormously to Canada. They were here for many years. They have learned French, they have learned English, they are working and they have work permits.
What alternative pathways or streams can the IRCC bring to help the failed the refugee claimants or those who are seeking asylum here?
1:20 p.m.
Deputy Minister, Department of Citizenship and Immigration
It's an excellent question.
As you may have seen in the minister's mandate letter, the department is looking to see what we can do for some of these either failed claimants or undocumented workers who remain in this country. We are looking at what some of the pathways and possibilities are to address undocumented workers because of the vulnerability they can represent.
One program I would also note is the guardian angels program during the last few years. It was a temporary public policy put in place during the pandemic to provide a permanent residence pathway for those who were pending or failed asylum refugee claimants who worked in direct patient care, and their family members.
That's an example of how the department is looking at some of these very challenging issues.
1:20 p.m.
Liberal
Sukh Dhaliwal Liberal Surrey—Newton, BC
Many in the trucking industry as well face the same issue. The trucking industry is key to our economy, so I hope you will consider them as well in your mandate.
1:20 p.m.
Bloc
Alexis Brunelle-Duceppe Bloc Lac-Saint-Jean, QC
Madam Chair, the interpreter has just informed me that my esteemed colleague Mr. Dhaliwal has a sound problem. We should resolve that so we can continue the discussion and facilitate the interpreters' work.
1:20 p.m.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Salma Zahid
Time is up for Mr. Dhaliwal.
Was there interpretation available for his comments, or do we have to go back?
1:20 p.m.
Bloc
Alexis Brunelle-Duceppe Bloc Lac-Saint-Jean, QC
No, that'll be fine. The problem occurred at the end. We should just make sure it doesn't happen again. Thank you very much.
1:20 p.m.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Salma Zahid
Okay.
Mr. Dhaliwal, can you quickly take a minute to go through the tail end of your round of questioning?
1:20 p.m.
Liberal
Sukh Dhaliwal Liberal Surrey—Newton, BC
The last question was around some of the immigration pathways or streams the IRCC could bring in order to help not necessarily the undocumented workers but the people who are documented and are failed refugee cases, who have been in Canada for many years, and who have learned French and English. Those are the people I'm talking about.
Hopefully, the deputy minister will address that.
1:20 p.m.
Deputy Minister, Department of Citizenship and Immigration
Yes. Thank you.
I think I was indicating with regard to the department that in Minister Fraser's mandate letter there is a mandate commitment to look at regularizing some of these people and having programs in place, and pathways put in place, in order to address some of these vulnerable people who are either failed asylum claimants or undocumented.
One of the programs I referred to was guardian angels. It was a temporary public policy put in place during the pandemic to provide a permanent residency pathway for those with failed or pending asylum refugee claims who were in direct patient care, along with their family members. That's just one example. The department will be doing a lot of policy work in terms of how to address some of these challenges.
Mr. Chair, I think it was also noted that we should take a look at the trucking industry and perhaps the vulnerability of some of those workers. We will definitely take that back.
1:25 p.m.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Salma Zahid
Thank you.
Your time is up, Mr. Dhaliwal.
We will now go to Mr. Brunelle-Duceppe.
Mr. Brunelle-Duceppe, you have six minutes for your round of questioning. Please begin.
1:25 p.m.
Bloc
Alexis Brunelle-Duceppe Bloc Lac-Saint-Jean, QC
Thank you, Madam Chair.
I want to thank the witnesses who are with us today for this important study. I have a lot of questions for them, and I'll go to Ms. Fox first.
I'd like to know, based on your most recent numbers, the rejection rates for asylum claims by people who have entered at Roxham Road.
1:25 p.m.
Deputy Minister, Department of Citizenship and Immigration
Just a moment. I'll look through my documents.
I'm sorry; I just have percentages.
1:25 p.m.
Deputy Minister, Department of Citizenship and Immigration
So you want to know the overall rejection rate; is that it?
1:25 p.m.
Bloc
Alexis Brunelle-Duceppe Bloc Lac-Saint-Jean, QC
Yes. I'm referring to claims made by people who entered at Roxham Road and were ultimately rejected.
1:25 p.m.
Deputy Minister, Department of Citizenship and Immigration
I'd have to verify that in my numbers. I don't have that one to hand.
1:25 p.m.
Bloc
Alexis Brunelle-Duceppe Bloc Lac-Saint-Jean, QC
All right. Please let us know once you've found it. I'll ask my other questions in the meantime.
I'd also like to have numbers on the distribution of asylum claimants in the largest cities in Canada, including in Quebec.
Madam Chair, I hope you're not including time spent waiting for answers in my speaking time.