Citizenship and Immigration Committee on Nov. 25th, 2022

[Aaron McCrorie]

Through the chair, thank you for the question.

Our processes that are in place are the same, regardless of whether or not the safe third country agreement is in place. It's a question of how and when they arrive in the country. I'm not familiar with the processes that were in place pre-STCA in 2014—

[The Chair, Liberal, Salma Zahid]

I'm sorry for interrupting. The time is up for Mr. Brunelle-Duceppe.

We will now proceed to Ms. Kwan.

Ms. Kwan, you have six minutes. Please begin.

[Jenny Kwan, NDP, Vancouver East, BC]

Thank you very much, Madam Chair.

I also want to say thank you to all of the departments for the work they are doing for our country.

With respect to the safe third country agreement, one issue, of course, is that the numbers will ebb and flow with the arrivals of people wanting to cross into Canada irregularly. I wonder if after this meeting the IRB could provide the committee with the data on the actual numbers over the years. If we could get the numbers perhaps prior to the safe third country agreement and then since that time to current, we could see the fluctuation that's occurred within the borders. Is it possible to get the numbers for the 10 years prior to the safe third country agreement?

[Richard Wex]

Through the chair, thank you for the question.

The board will undertake to do what it can for the member's request. I just want to make sure I understand the question. Is it with respect to the numbers currently identified as ineligible? I'm just trying to make sure I understand the question.

[Jenny Kwan, NDP, Vancouver East, BC]

Sorry. It's about the numbers of people who've arrived at the border crossing irregularly.

[Richard Wex]

We have those numbers, yes. I can provide them to you now or another time.

[Jenny Kwan, NDP, Vancouver East, BC]

Perhaps you can provide the numbers to us after the committee meeting.

[Richard Wex]

Absolutely. In terms of numbers that have come to the IRB or are referred to the IRB that are irregular, we can provide those numbers to you. Since 2017 it's 72,500.

[Jenny Kwan, NDP, Vancouver East, BC]

Thank you. I'd like to have the breakdown year by year.

Could you also provide information, if you have that information, on the demographics of the people coming across the border?

[Richard Wex]

We'll provide what we can. Thank you.

[Jenny Kwan, NDP, Vancouver East, BC]

Thank you.

My next question is for the CBSA/

With respect to processing, one issue that was brought to our attention by a witness was about the asylum seeker getting their documentation, what they call the “brown paper” document. Because of the influx of numbers, I understand that there is pressure on the CBSA in terms of staffing. Now there's a practice of providing an “entry for further examination” document.

Can you advise the committee on how long it's taking for people to get the brown paper document so that they can move on to the next phase of their asylum claim?

[Aaron McCrorie]

Thank you, Madam Chair.

Maybe I'll take this opportunity to reiterate that our processes are in place regardless of whether the STCA is there or not. At Roxham Road, in an effort to deal with volumes, initially we were processing in two parts. We did an initial assessment upon arrival, and then we adjourned the claim for a later date to be finalized in an eligibility interview at the urban processing centre.

As a result of that, what we've seen with the volumes...and we're doing that because it takes four to six hours to do a claim in person. We've seen that eligibility backlog increase due to this two-step process where it's now taking up to 18 months for somebody to get that eligibility interview and to get their documentation.

To address that, we've done a couple of things. One, we've introduced, as I alluded to, what we call our one-step process, where low-risk people and people with full documentation are fully assessed upon arrival. They're allowed to leave. They're given the documentation they require so that they have rights to employment and they have rights to social and medical care. They have to complete their paperwork on our online portal within 45 days. The effect of that is to reduce the growth of the eligibility backlog.

The other innovation we put in place is the use of this digital portal. I've said it takes up to 18 months. That's a worst-case scenario. If individuals provide their information via our online portal, which is more user-friendly, more reliable, and more accurate, they can get an interview within 90 days. That would then close their eligibility claim and they'd move forward in the system.

[Jenny Kwan, NDP, Vancouver East, BC]

I ask this question because currently...actually just this week we had a witness who works with The Refugee Centre advising us that people are waiting for a prolonged period. They are not actually getting their brown paper document.

Since when has this expedited process that you mention been in place?

[Aaron McCrorie]

We launched on November 1 and we're already seeing immediate benefits from that. The portal has been in place for a couple of months and again we're seeing immediate benefits there.

The portal is available to anybody in that up-to-18-month waiting list. The benefit of the portal, from our point of view, is that it's more user-friendly, it's plain language, it's more accurate and it's quicker.

[Jenny Kwan, NDP, Vancouver East, BC]

I'm sorry. I'm limited on time.

Maybe you can provide the committee this data as well: How many asylum seekers are in what stages of the wait period? If you can provide that information to us for Roxham Road, that would be appreciated.

With respect to your comment, I appreciate that as well. If people went through the official ports of entry, it would reduce the dangers people encounter on the journey to try to get to Canada to seek asylum and safety. That is an important point to note.

From that perspective, would it also create better organization in terms of the management of the current situation for CBSA, and for the RCMP for that matter?

My question is for the RCMP and for CBSA.

[Aaron McCrorie]

Arriving through the port of entry—

[The Chair, Liberal, Salma Zahid]

I'm sorry for interrupting, Ms. Kwan. The time is up.

We will now proceed to our second round. Based on the time, we will have two and a half minutes for Mr. Maguire and then Ms. Lalonde, and then one and a half minutes each for Mr. Brunelle-Duceppe and Ms. Kwan. Then we will end this panel.

We will go to Mr. Maguire.

You will have two and a half minutes.

[Larry Maguire, Conservative, Brandon—Souris, MB]

Thank you, Madam Chair, and thanks to the witnesses.

I just had my time cut in half, so we're going to run here. I need some yes or no answers.

Mr. Wex, thank you for all of your testimony.

According to the latest statistics published on the IRCC's website, the number of people who have irregularly crossed over the border to claim asylum are now higher than ever. I think 31,003 is the number I have here today for those who have been intercepted by the RCMP in 2022. There are reports that up to 50,000 people might walk across the border this year.

Has the IRCC or any other department provided the IRB with any estimates of the number of people they expect to walk across the border for the remainder of this year or in any future year, yes or no?

[Richard Wex]

The testimony that was given by the deputy minister of IRCC, I think last week, is consistent with the numbers that we have seen as well. We have a good line of sight. They share with us the number of irregular border crossers they have in their inventory.

[Larry Maguire, Conservative, Brandon—Souris, MB]

In light of the time here, can you table that or relevant documents with the committee?

[Richard Wex]

They not our documents. They are IRCC's documents.

I'll just be five seconds. They receive the referrals first and then it comes to IRB. Sometimes that could take six to 12 months, so there is a lag.

[Larry Maguire, Conservative, Brandon—Souris, MB]

Has IRCC provided any of those documents to IRB?

[Richard Wex]

Which documents would those be?

[Larry Maguire, Conservative, Brandon—Souris, MB]

The documents on the number of people who are going to be crossing the border.

[Richard Wex]

We're already at the 10th month of 12. They've identified in previous testimony that up to 45,000 or 50,000 irregular border crossers could cross between January and December of this year.