Citizenship and Immigration Committee on March 20th, 2023

[Nicole Girard]

Yes, the member is correct because, particularly for those impacted by section 8 who've lost their citizenship, they would no longer need to come forward for a discretionary grant, which is addressed case by case. The circumstances may be different and vary, and they would become citizens automatically by operation of law and need to apply for a proof of citizenship should they wish to have evidence of their Canadian citizenship, which is a fairly straightforward process.

[The Chair, Liberal, Salma Zahid]

The time is up for Mr. Maguire. We will now proceed to MP Ali.

MP Ali, you will have five minutes. Please begin.

[Shafqat Ali, Liberal, Brampton Centre, ON]

Thank you, Madam Chair.

I have a question for you. You have said in your presentation that for everyone who still considers themselves a lost Canadian, there are existing remedies through either an immigration process or applying for a grant of citizenship. Can you explain what the different grants are that exist? What criteria would someone have to meet in order to be successful in their application?

[Nicole Girard]

Thank you for the question.

That's correct. There are existing avenues. For the one we were just speaking of, the discretionary grant, the application through the minister for the discretionary grant is on the basis of hardship or unusual hardship, and certainly that would describe those who lost their citizenship automatically due to the former section 8 provisions. That's one option.

The other avenue for those born abroad in the second generation or beyond since 2009 who are no longer automatically citizens but have a Canadian parent, the parent has the option to sponsor their child for permanent residence in Canada. Once the child becomes a permanent resident through that avenue, there's no waiting. The parents can then apply for a grant of citizenship for the child. Certainly, there are some requirements, but the main one in that circumstance is that they have a Canadian parent who is going to apply on the child's behalf so that the child can then become a citizen.

[Shafqat Ali, Liberal, Brampton Centre, ON]

Thank you.

Through you, Madam Chair, I'm trying to better understand how it works, particularly for someone who obtains one of the special grants you have talked about. Let's say that I have looked at the grant criteria and have decided that I need it, and I decide to make an application. What is the specific process from the time IRCC receives my application? How long is it before I find out if I have been successful?

[Nicole Girard]

We don't have the processing time on hand today for the discretionary grant of citizenship, but I have undertaken to go back and assess what is feasible to provide and to provide that as soon as is reasonably possible to the committee in response to the member's question.

[Shafqat Ali, Liberal, Brampton Centre, ON]

Thank you.

Your department is faced with a large backlog after the pandemic. Would an automatic grant not help to relieve some of these pressures, rather than having another application process that could add further stress to the system?

[Nicole Girard]

Thank you for the question.

As mentioned, the department has undertaken a number of modernization measures over the last couple of years. We have brought applications online. We conduct online tests and online citizenship ceremonies, as has been mentioned. Resources have been added and significant progress has been made to reduce inventories and processing times. In the grant of citizenship business line, there is still more work to be done, and the department is working hard to continue to improve its service to citizenship applicants, though, as I mentioned, we had record grants of citizenship last year.

Where the bill is extending citizenship automatically to some under the bill as drafted, those applications would be instead for a proof of Canadian citizenship, which is the smaller business line, if I could put it that way, because the grant business line for newcomers, for immigrants to Canada, is a much larger one. As I mentioned, we had 374,000 new citizens last year. The grant business line is more in the tens of thousands by comparison, and those who, under the bill, may wish to come forward and have evidence of their Canadian citizenship would need to apply for what's called a “proof of citizenship”. The department would undertake the necessary implementation preparations to be able to issue those if Parliament passes the bill and we then are called upon to implement it.

[The Chair, Liberal, Salma Zahid]

Thank you. Your time is up, Mr. Ali.

We will now proceed to Ms. Rempel Garner.

Ms. Rempel Garner, you will have five minutes. Please begin.

[Michelle Rempel, Conservative, Calgary Nose Hill, AB]

Thank you, Chair.

If I may, I would compliment you on the lovely baklava you provided.

[The Chair, Liberal, Salma Zahid]

It's a very special Scarborough baklava. It's owned by a Syrian refugee.

[Michelle Rempel, Conservative, Calgary Nose Hill, AB]

They really produced some delicious baklava, and I would like to say that this is in scope if I may.

I'm buttering you up because I move:

That, pursuant to Standing Order 108(2):

(a) the Committee extend the total number of meetings currently allocated to the current study regarding the Government’s response to the final report of the Special Committee on Afghanistan by a minimum of three meetings, to be held prior to March 31, 2023; and

(b) Senator Marilou McPhedran, MP Marc Garneau, Minister Harjit Sajjan and Minister Marco Mendicino be invited to appear separately before the Committee prior to March 31, 2023, for two hours each, to discuss matters related to the current study; and

(c) Dr. Lauryn Oates, of the Canadian Women for Women in Afghanistan group, be invited to appear individually before the Committee prior to March 31, 2023, for one hour, to discuss matters related to the current study; and

(d) summonses do issue for the appearances of former Minister for Women and Gender Equality Maryam Monsef, Laura Robinson, and George Young, to appear separately, for two hours each, at dates and times to be fixed by the Chair, but no later than March 31, 2023, to discuss matters related to the current study; and

(e) summonses do issue for the appearances of senior departmental officials from the Department of National Defence to appear before the Committee, at a date and time to be fixed by the Chair, but no later than March 31, 2023, to discuss matters related to the current study.

Madam Chair, I did move this previously on February 8, 2023.

Thank you.

[The Chair, Liberal, Salma Zahid]

Thank you, with regard to your motion.

Mr. Redekopp.

[Brad Redekopp, Conservative, Saskatoon West, SK]

Thank you, Madam Chair.

I would like to move an amendment to this motion. It's just a technical amendment. I move that we replace all of the instances of the words “March 31” with “April 30”, and that we add the word “former” before the reference to MP Garneau. It's those two changes.

[The Chair, Liberal, Salma Zahid]

Go ahead, Mr. El-Khoury.

[Fayçal El-Khoury, Liberal, Laval—Les Îles, QC]

Thanks, Madam Chair.

I believe it's unfair for the witness to stay completely two hours without at least two minutes of break. If my colleagues agree to give them two to three minutes of break to relax, it would be appreciated.

[The Chair, Liberal, Salma Zahid]

I've been advised just to clarify to all of the members before we agree to this that the debate was adjourned on this motion. If we have to resume debate on that, someone has to move a motion that the debate be resumed.

[Michelle Rempel, Conservative, Calgary Nose Hill, AB]

I'm sorry. I thought that's what I said, to resume debate on the motion moved on February 8.

[The Chair, Liberal, Salma Zahid]

Before we proceed further, we will have to vote on this so we can resume debate.

[Michelle Rempel, Conservative, Calgary Nose Hill, AB]

Is that procedurally correct?

[The Chair, Liberal, Salma Zahid]

I can ask the clerk to clarify, because this is what she said.

Madam Clerk, can you please clarify that?

I will suspend.

[Michelle Rempel, Conservative, Calgary Nose Hill, AB]

No. Why? It's a live motion on the floor.

[The Chair, Liberal, Salma Zahid]

She's just clarifying.

[Michelle Rempel, Conservative, Calgary Nose Hill, AB]

On a point of order, I believe procedurally you are out of order on this. It is a live motion on the floor. I was recognized by the chair. The motion has already been put forward by committee. The motion has been deemed, and I moved it. This is a live motion that's on the floor, and we should be continuing with debate on the amendment.

[The Chair, Liberal, Salma Zahid]

The clerk is just checking. She advised that. She is just reconfirming, because she provided the advice that we have to have a motion to resume debate. Before we proceed further, I will wait for the clerk.