Citizenship and Immigration Committee on March 20th, 2024

[Jennifer MacIntyre]

It's true that people who are going to use this program will have access to settlement services here in Canada, which includes language training, for example.

Normally, under a temporary program, individuals don't have access to these types of settlement services, but, in the case of Gaza, the government decided that people would have access to them, even though it's a temporary program.

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

Could you tell us how these services will help these people once they're in Canada?

Can you tell us about the positive impact this will have and the hope it will bring, whether it's in terms of finances or helping look for housing?

What impact will this have on newcomers to Canada?

[Jennifer MacIntyre]

Thank you for the question.

The purpose of the federal government's settlement services is to offer support to newcomers. For example, individuals may not speak either English or French. Offering them language training is a good way to help them integrate into our country, even if they're only here temporarily.

Many services are integrated into our programs for foreign nationals, and those services include things like helping them find housing or opening a bank account, for example.

As I said earlier, the government has made the decision to offer these services to those who will use this program, even if they will only be here temporarily. The goal is for them to integrate successfully while they're in Canada.

[The Chair, Liberal, Sukh Dhaliwal]

Thank you very much, Mr. El-Khoury.

We will go to Mr. Brunelle-Duceppe for six minutes.

Please go ahead.

[Alexis Brunelle-Duceppe, Bloc, Lac-Saint-Jean, QC]

Thank you, Mr. Chair.

I want talk about the real issues. When I was vice-chair of the Special Committee on Afghanistan, several witnesses told us that there was a problem within IRCC because there was no emergency division to respond to international crises.

That statement did not fall on deaf ears. Indeed, I had proposed a work plan to set up an emergency division within the department. This included six well-defined points. The deputy minister, Ms. Fox, welcomed this proposal with great interest and even told us she would implement it.

Deputy Minister, I made that proposal two years ago. It's directly related to today's topic. A program was put in place at the last minute in response to an international crisis. Since then, nothing has been done. However, you had a ready-made plan at your disposal.

Deputy Minister, can you explain to me where things stand? Why isn't this already in place?

[Dr. Harpreet S. Kochhar]

Thank you for the question.

Mr. Chair, I want to mention a little background and then go directly to the question. One key component where we can help Canadians, their families and others is through public policy. That's what we have utilized in Gaza, in Sudan and in other situations. I must say, as you suggested, that the department is working on creating that in an imminent way, how we can build a frame.

I would say, Mr. Chair, that we are very advanced in putting together a crisis response framework. That would be something that would allow us to get the lessons learned from what we have seen in Afghanistan and what we are seeing right now in Gaza and how we create that standing capacity and a standing way of how we really get to the point quickly as soon as any such situations arise.

Due to your input and what we heard in the strategic immigration review and from all the other stakeholders, we are very far ahead in creating that crisis response framework that we will be able to use in any of these situations.

[Alexis Brunelle-Duceppe, Bloc, Lac-Saint-Jean, QC]

Thank you, Mr. Chair.

If I understand correctly, things are moving forward. After all, it's been two years since I made this proposal, which was even one of the recommendations included in the report of the Special Committee on Afghanistan.

As you know, I'm capable of collaborating. That's why I make proposals. That said, after all this time, I don't understand why the crisis response framework hasn't been implemented yet.

Can you give us a specific date? When will the crisis response framework be set up within IRCC?

[Dr. Harpreet S. Kochhar]

Again, thank you for the question.

What I want to mention very clearly is that there are a couple of steps, but we are very advanced with the crisis response framework. We have a very clear idea—and I'm going to be very specific, Mr. Chair—that by the fall we should be able to get the crisis response framework together.

There are a couple of steps that we will have to do in creating a standing capacity, and we are already working on that. We have a small team already working on that one, making sure that we have some way of separating a part of our budget for an immediate action and a situation where we can go to a central agency to seek more when we need it if the operation has to be bigger.

I can assure you, Chair, that we are working towards a clearer timeline, which would be as early as fall, to have the crisis response framework in place and then the subsequent capacity.

[Alexis Brunelle-Duceppe, Bloc, Lac-Saint-Jean, QC]

Thank you very much, it would have been interesting to collaborate on that.

You say it will be in place by autumn. I'll take your word for it and trust you. I hope you'll give the Bloc Québécois credit for this excellent idea, since it's going to help a lot of people in the future.

So far, the Government of Canada has only given applicants codes to begin the multi-step security screening process. This was necessary to cross the border with Egypt at Rafah.

Can you explain which Gaza authorities are responsible for authorizing extended family members to leave the Gaza Strip?

[Dr. Harpreet S. Kochhar]

What we are working with, Mr. Chair, is a common platform with Israel and Egypt, where we have been able to really pull together all the information, which is based on the delivery of codes and the applications that come to us.

We have prepared a list, which we worked on with COGAT. COGAT is an authority that is capable of making sure...or allowing the folks in Gaza to come out. We need their okay for an exit.

That is the authority we are working with. Our head of mission in Cairo and our head of mission in Tel Aviv have all been corresponding and working closely with them to make sure this happens.

[The Chair, Liberal, Sukh Dhaliwal]

Thank you very much.

Thank you, Mr. Brunelle-Duceppe.

[Alexis Brunelle-Duceppe, Bloc, Lac-Saint-Jean, QC]

Thank you.

[The Chair, Liberal, Sukh Dhaliwal]

Thank you.

We will go to Madam Kwan.

Go ahead for six minutes, please.

[Jenny Kwan, NDP, Vancouver East, BC]

Thank you very much, Mr. Chair.

I just want to point out the differential treatment. Both the minister and officials have just said that a cap had to be put in place because the government does not know how many people would utilize this program. However, for the Ukrainian initiative, CUAET, there was no cap. The government didn't know how many people would utilize that program.

Why the differential treatment?

[The Chair, Liberal, Sukh Dhaliwal]

Deputy Minister, please go ahead.

[Dr. Harpreet S. Kochhar]

I'll take the example of Gaza. We are wanting to see, as the minister mentioned, if we are able to get the people out from where they are. As it becomes more clear that we are able to facilitate that movement or as that movement happens, we want to make sure we are increasing that.

At that time, it was mostly defined to do a very quick adjustment in terms of providing a safe place for the Palestinians who were trapped in that war situation.

[Jenny Kwan, NDP, Vancouver East, BC]

Well, the government would be able to achieve the same thing without putting a cap in place. By putting a cap in place, the government has delayed the processing of the application process.

When was the last code issued by the department to reach that 986—I believe it was—prior to the expansion announcement?

[Dr. Harpreet S. Kochhar]

As the minister pointed out, Mr. Chair, the department has continued to send codes out. My department and my folks have told me that as late as Friday of last week we had sent out codes, too.

I believe—

[Jenny Kwan, NDP, Vancouver East, BC]

I'm sorry, I think you misunderstood my question.

What was the date on which the government reached the 986th code? When was the 986th code issued?

[Dr. Harpreet S. Kochhar]

Let me clarify.

What I was getting to is that 986 is not the code; 986 is the number of applicants in the system who have received the code and actually applied with an application. Codes are in much higher numbers as well.

[Jenny Kwan, NDP, Vancouver East, BC]

Yes.

When the department processed those 986 applications and they get codes, what was the date on which that last application was processed and they received the code?

[Dr. Harpreet S. Kochhar]

Mr. Chair, can I please clarify something because there's confusion about—

[The Chair, Liberal, Sukh Dhaliwal]

Sure. I'll stop the watch, Madam Kwan.

Please go ahead.

[Dr. Harpreet S. Kochhar]

There's confusion about whether the codes trigger the application.

As I started to explain earlier, there is a process in which, first of all, there is a web form through which they apply. A code is issued. A code triggers a way to actually submit a TRV application. Each applicant needs to have one application.

We issued around 1,600 to 2,000 codes already, for which we got applications that we started to completely process. We are at 986 and we will continue to do that.

[Jenny Kwan, NDP, Vancouver East, BC]

Thank you very much.

I can tell you that in my office, I have a list of 2,500 applicants, extended family members, who've submitted their application to come to Canada to safety, of which 2,000 of them have yet to receive a code. Without receiving a code, they cannot move into the next phase of the processing application. I believe that the 1,000 cap has blocked at least those 2,000 people from moving forward with their application.

The minister said that he's not lifting the cap but expanding it, but he will not give a number as to what that expansion is. What is the expanded number now? Will those 2,000 who are still waiting for their application to be processed to get a code be able to get one?