Citizenship and Immigration Committee on March 9th, 2026

[Jason Hollmann, Director General, Asylum Policy, Department of Citizenship and Immigration]

Sure.

Some of it was already alluded to, but I'll try to go in sequential order.

Somebody who is making an asylum claim can do so either at the border, when they arrive, or after they've been in Canada for some time. If they make the claim at the border, they would make it to a CBSA officer. If they make it in Canada because they may have been here already, they would apply online and then be directed to an IRCC office to finish the intake process.

We use the initial intake process to confirm somebody's identity, collect biometrics from the individual, seize travel documents and determine eligibility. As I think was mentioned before, there are multiple criteria for ineligibility, including having filed a refugee claim before and security concerns.

Once the steps are completed, the person is given a conditional removal order. This was already mentioned too. If the person doesn't really have an authorization to be here but they have filed a claim, the removal order is stayed while their claim is going through the process. They would then receive a confirmation document that indicates they are a refugee claimant, so an identity document.

Depending on the process, the claims are referred to the Immigration and Refugee Board, but security screening is conducted on 100% of the claimants. While the claim is pending, we also review those claims and triage them to find indicators either of additional security concerns or of credibility and integrity issues. This is when you hear the reference to interventions.

The intervention is basically the minister—so, staff—providing the evidence that we may have access to of those integrity or credibility questions from an IRCC perspective. This could mean they have multiple undisclosed identities; it could be something like having permanent residence or protection in another country, or it could be something we have seen in their claim information that contradicts other information in their immigration documentation. When we have concerns, we will either prepare a written intervention or prepare to go before an oral hearing to provide the information so that the decision-maker at the IRB can take this into account as the claim is being decided.

Once the claim goes through the IRB decision-making process—

[The Chair, Liberal, Julie Dzerowicz]

Thank you, Mr. Hollmann. Sorry, that is time.

Thank you, Ms. Sodhi.

Mr. Deschênes, you have the floor for two and a half minutes.

[Alexis Deschênes, Bloc, Gaspésie—Les Îles-de-la-Madeleine—Listuguj, QC]

Thank you, Madam Chair.

Ms. Brassard, what is the current processing time for asylum claims in Canada?

[Manon Brassard]

For a case on which a decision is being rendered now, it's about 24 months, including 17 months at the IRB. The rest is what happens before the case gets to the IRB.

[Alexis Deschênes, Bloc, Gaspésie—Les Îles-de-la-Madeleine—Listuguj, QC]

You're talking about the eligibility and security screening stage.

[Manon Brassard]

Yes, it's the eligibility and front-end security screening stage.

[Alexis Deschênes, Bloc, Gaspésie—Les Îles-de-la-Madeleine—Listuguj, QC]

What are the processing times for Quebec in particular?

[Manon Brassard]

They're about the same.

There's no difference between Quebec and the rest, is there, Ms. Eatrides?

[Roula Eatrides]

Maybe a slight one....

[Manon Brassard]

There's not much difference, if any.

[Alexis Deschênes, Bloc, Gaspésie—Les Îles-de-la-Madeleine—Listuguj, QC]

So is it 24 or 25 months? Do we have more accurate numbers?

[Manon Brassard]

It's maybe 23 or 24 months. We can give you figures, but they're in the same ballpark.

At the same time, we manage our workload nationally. Therefore, if a case can be heard by a member elsewhere, we will send it there. So it doesn't necessarily delay the process.

[Alexis Deschênes, Bloc, Gaspésie—Les Îles-de-la-Madeleine—Listuguj, QC]

Okay.

I understand that every country is different, and each has its own immigration system too. However, we see that some European countries manage to process claims and render a decision in under six months.

What do we need to do to meet that target in Canada as well?

[Manon Brassard]

First, I would say that we have to look at how they arrive at that six-month deadline. Some countries will use a method called stop the clock, meaning that they don't count the periods where they're waiting for something. So I would say that although numbers like that seems to be quite impressive, we should perhaps take them with a grain of salt.

It's also a matter of the workload. You have to take into account the number of cases they have to deal with each year, as well as the resources and number of members they devote to them. That counts as well.

[Alexis Deschênes, Bloc, Gaspésie—Les Îles-de-la-Madeleine—Listuguj, QC]

What it comes down to, really, is this: What would you need to do to shorten processing times here?

[Manon Brassard]

We continue to put a lot of effort into everything related to preparing the file. It's not the three-hour hearing that's long, but everything that has to happen before that. Under Bill C‑12, we'll have a departmental due diligence process and a complete file. Right now, we have to wait, look for information and, above all, remind people that we're missing things, which takes up a lot of time and energy.

In addition, we receive files in all kinds of formats, whether by fax, on paper or by email, and we're in the process of putting in place a much more robust electronic transmission system to make our approach more systematic.

We did a review of all our processes—

[The Chair, Liberal, Julie Dzerowicz]

Thank you, Ms. Brassard.

Thank you, Mr. Deschênes.

Next, we have Mr. Ho for five minutes.

[Vincent Ho, Conservative, Richmond Hill South, ON]

Thank you, Madam Chair.

My first set of questions are for the officials at the CBSA. The Globe and Mail, on March 6, reported that the CBSA was investigating 95 cases involving possible high-ranking Iranian regime officials.

Can you confirm this figure?

[Brett Bush]

I can confirm that we're investigating cases. I don't know the number offhand. I apologize, because I'm from our policy area and not from our operational area. I was here to talk about—

[Vincent Ho, Conservative, Richmond Hill South, ON]

No worries.

Is the CBSA aware that there are senior-ranking Iranian regime officials living in Canada? There are a number of them.

[Brett Bush]

We are aware.

[Vincent Ho, Conservative, Richmond Hill South, ON]

The CBSA reportedly concluded that 28 individuals were deemed inadmissible after the government announced, back in November 2022, that senior Iranian officials should be barred from Canada.

Is that correct?

[Brett Bush]

Again, I can't confirm the number for you today, but there are a number of cases that we have—

[Vincent Ho, Conservative, Richmond Hill South, ON]

Okay.

We'll go to what your agency said to The Globe and Mail. Despite identifying 28 individuals who were deemed inadmissible, only one person has been removed from Canada since 2022.

Is that correct?

[Brett Bush]

Again, I don't have the number in front of me.