Citizenship and Immigration Committee on Dec. 5th, 2023

[Jenny Kwan, NDP, Vancouver East, BC]

Regarding the interim federal health program, I'm hearing from doctors and people in the health care sector that patients are not able to access the health care service, and that the processing of those applications is severely delayed. I was given an example of people not even getting authorization to begin...the health service. The wait time has been six to nine weeks. It's happening quite frequently in a variety of different health service deliveries, so it is not a one-off situation.

My question for the deputy minister is this: What's going on there? Can the ministry take action to ensure this kind of delay is not occurring and that people are not impeded from getting the health care services they need?

[Christiane Fox]

I would say that, in certain contexts.... We work very closely with panel physicians across the country. Obviously, people need to demonstrate medical evaluations and assessments prior to making their applications in Canada. I don't think that, at this point, there are significant delays regarding panel physicians. Depending on where you are in the country, there may be a bit of a longer wait. We can commit to come back with that.

Is what you're suggesting about six-to-nine-week wait times specific to a health service once someone becomes a PR? Is it specific to refugees? I'm trying to get a sense of the issue.

[Jenny Kwan, NDP, Vancouver East, BC]

It's specific to refugees. They have not yet received their PR, so they're reliant on the interim federal health program. In this case, the six-to-nine-week thing happens to be for someone in need of physiotherapy. It's not because the physiotherapist is unavailable. It's because they're waiting for the process to be completed so they can start the treatment. That is a six-to-nine-week wait time.

That's not the only example. I have many others, but I'm running out of time.

[Christiane Fox]

I'll definitely bring that back, take a look at what the delays are, and come back to you on next steps.

[Jenny Kwan, NDP, Vancouver East, BC]

Regarding the 2020 pool for the parents and grandparents lottery, how many people are in there right now?

[Christiane Fox]

I know 24,000 invitations to apply were sent out in October 2023 for that pool. How many remain in that pool after that invitation to apply.... I would have to check, but we have 5,278 applications in the system.

[Jenny Kwan, NDP, Vancouver East, BC]

I understand—

[The Chair, Liberal, Sukh Dhaliwal]

I'm going to stop the clock.

Deputy Minister, she asked for a specific number. How many are left in that pool? I would ask your department to provide the exact number of people left.

Thank you.

Ms. Kwan, go ahead.

[Jenny Kwan, NDP, Vancouver East, BC]

Thank you very much, Mr. Chair.

I would like to get that number, since the pool has been shut down for three years now. Come January, it will be the fourth year. I'd like to know what the pool was for each year. I would like to have that information.

Mr. Chair, at this juncture, I would like to move a motion:

That the committee issue a letter to the Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship to urgently call on the Government of Canada to lift the 40,000 quota for the Special Immigration Measure for Afghans so that those who risked their lives and that of their family members, including extended family members, to serve Canada are afforded the opportunity to get to safety in Canada; and, further, that the committee issue a news release on the matter.

[The Chair, Liberal, Sukh Dhaliwal]

I want to make it clear to the committee that there are many things we discuss in camera that cannot be discussed here.

This is a motion made in public, so it is a debatable motion.

Mr. Kmiec.

[Tom Kmiec, Conservative, Calgary Shepard, AB]

Can we get the exact wording of the motion so that we can see it?

[The Chair, Liberal, Sukh Dhaliwal]

Sure.

Madam Kwan, can you give the wording of the motion, please?

Can we discharge the deputy minister and the team?

[A voice]

Yes.

[The Chair, Liberal, Sukh Dhaliwal]

Deputy Minister and team, thank you very much for being here.

[Greg McLean, Conservative, Calgary Centre, AB]

Actually, Mr. Chair, before the deputy minister and her officials are discharged....

Thank you, first of all.

Second, can we get the list of the things that Ms. Kwan asked for to make sure that they're on the record—and that we asked for as well? It's not just the top five payees but the full list of payees. Can we also get the 500 service organizations that you're aligned with? I think it says, in your plan, that there are more than 500. That would be instructive.

Thank you very much.

[The Chair, Liberal, Sukh Dhaliwal]

With that, I would like to thank you, Deputy Minister Fox, Ms. Manseau, Ms. Dorion, Ms. Baird and Ms. Park. The very best to you.

Madam Kwan.

[Jenny Kwan, NDP, Vancouver East, BC]

The clerk already has the motion.

[The Chair, Liberal, Sukh Dhaliwal]

There is something that was talked about in camera that we cannot talk....

[Jenny Kwan, NDP, Vancouver East, BC]

I understand. I just [Inaudible—Editor].

[The Chair, Liberal, Sukh Dhaliwal]

Thank you.

[A voice]

Mr. Chair, are we suspended?

[The Chair, Liberal, Sukh Dhaliwal]

I'll suspend the meeting for a few minutes here. The meeting is suspended.

[The Chair, Liberal, Sukh Dhaliwal]

I bring the meeting back to order, please.

[Brad Redekopp, Conservative, Saskatoon West, SK]

Mr. Chair, I move to adjourn the meeting.

[The Chair, Liberal, Sukh Dhaliwal]

There is a motion on floor to adjourn the meeting. It's non-debatable.

I will ask the clerk to take the vote, please.