Evidence of meeting #44 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 claim.
A video is available from Parliament.
1:50 p.m.
Conservative
Larry Maguire Conservative Brandon—Souris, MB
All I'm looking at is a number for estimates for those people coming across. I'm sure there is a document somewhere.
1:50 p.m.
Chairperson and Chief Executive Officer, Immigration and Refugee Board
I haven't seen a document necessarily, but I have been briefed on that.
1:50 p.m.
Conservative
Larry Maguire Conservative Brandon—Souris, MB
Thank you.
I'll move on.
The most recent department performance report on the IRB'S target to process cases within the legislated timelines was only 50%. That's a tremendously low target to meet legislated timelines. The worst part is that the actual results were only 17%. After the last influx of irregular border crossers, the Auditor General tabled a troubling report that found many deficiencies in the IRB.
As you were the chair at that time and are now, I'd like to get some clarity on the IRB's implementation of the Auditor General's recommendations that the IRB accepted. The first one would be, as requested, whether the IRB updated the performance targets used to report on intake capacity and productivity.
I believe you said yes in your testimony, so thank you.
Can you please table that process of how the IRB implemented that recommendation?
1:50 p.m.
Chairperson and Chief Executive Officer, Immigration and Refugee Board
Yes, I can. Very quickly—
1:50 p.m.
Conservative
1:50 p.m.
Chairperson and Chief Executive Officer, Immigration and Refugee Board
I'm happy to table our operational plans for the year with performance targets, yes.
1:50 p.m.
Conservative
1:55 p.m.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Salma Zahid
We will now proceed to Ms. Lalonde.
Ms. Lalonde, you will have two-and-a-half minutes. You can please proceed.
1:55 p.m.
Liberal
Marie-France Lalonde Liberal Orléans, ON
I'd like to begin by thanking all the witnesses for being here.
On behalf of our entire group, I'd like something clarified.
Mr. Wex, I believe you mentioned 50,000 people. Who are these people? Is that only those who cross at Roxham Road or everyone who requests asylum in Canada?
1:55 p.m.
Chairperson and Chief Executive Officer, Immigration and Refugee Board
Thank you, Madam Chair.
I really don't want to speak for IRCC's intake and CBSA's intake; I can really only speak to IRB's intake. Again, they're further upstream in the system and we're downstream, and there is a six-month to 12-month lag.
I can report and share with this committee that from January to November of this year, we received a total of 47,600 asylum seekers. We have a pending inventory of about 66,000, a third of which are non-actionable, as I testified earlier.
1:55 p.m.
Liberal
Marie-France Lalonde Liberal Orléans, ON
Just for clarification, Mr. Wex, are these numbers for all asylum seekers within Canada?
1:55 p.m.
Chairperson and Chief Executive Officer, Immigration and Refugee Board
The numbers that I'm referring to are the numbers, yes. For both regular border crossers and irregular border crossers, we received 47,000 at the IRB this year. IRCC would have received something else.
To be very clear, the board does not make any distinction in the adjudication of claims between regular claimants and irregular border crossers. It's of no consequence from an adjudicative perspective. It has other consequences across the system that we're discussing, but I want to be clear on that point.
1:55 p.m.
Liberal
Marie-France Lalonde Liberal Orléans, ON
I appreciate that actually, because that is very relevant to what we were talking about.
To continue, you are responsible for granting status for refugee claimants who arrive in Canada and make an asylum claim. As such, can you tell the committee how the IRB has modernized and innovated its responsibilities to refugee claimants who have crossed at Roxham Road since the pandemic, please? Did you encounter any setbacks during this time?
1:55 p.m.
Chairperson and Chief Executive Officer, Immigration and Refugee Board
In terms of the various measures that are in place to deal with the influx at Roxham Road, we've introduced a number of measures over the past number of years. We're very much alive to the journeys they have undertaken over the past number of years at Roxham Road.
I would point out too that with respect to our basis of claim form, which is our main form, we have extended the timelines for filing, and also a bridge—what is required to be filled out—recognizing that there is so much pressure at Roxham Road, it is difficult for many of these claimants to have access to counsel—
1:55 p.m.
Chairperson and Chief Executive Officer, Immigration and Refugee Board
—in as timely a manner as they used to. That is but one of many measures that was taken.
1:55 p.m.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Salma Zahid
Thank you.
We will now proceed to Mr. Brunelle-Duceppe for 90 seconds. You can please begin.
1:55 p.m.
Bloc
Alexis Brunelle-Duceppe Bloc Lac-Saint-Jean, QC
Thank you, Madam Chair.
If possible, I'd appreciate a yes or no answer.
Is it a crime to take money from people to get them across the border?
I'm asking the people from the RCMP.
1:55 p.m.
Supt Martin Roach
Are you talking about individuals in the United States who are asking people for money?
1:55 p.m.
Supt Martin Roach
Law enforcement is different for our American partners. They don't have the same powers. In Canada, for example, if someone commits or intends to commit an offence in the United States, we can lay charges. In the United States, things don't work quite the same way and there are slight differences.
I can therefore not comment on how the Americans would enforce the law in a case like that.
1:55 p.m.
Bloc
Alexis Brunelle-Duceppe Bloc Lac-Saint-Jean, QC
According to Canadian law, it's a crime to ask someone for money to take that person across the border. Is that correct?
1:55 p.m.
D/Commr Michael Duheme
That would be assisting with smuggling, so yes, it's a crime.