Evidence of meeting #23 for Citizenship and Immigration in the 45th Parliament, 1st session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was claim.
A recording is available from Parliament.
Chairperson, Immigration and Refugee Board
We look at the claims, and we know which countries have the 80% acceptance rate. That's the starting point.
Conservative
Brad Redekopp Conservative Saskatoon West, SK
Let's pause right there.
There is a list, then. Is that the answer?
Chairperson, Immigration and Refugee Board
It's not necessarily a stable.... We're live to the issue. If a country stops being 80%, it will drop. We don't have a list that we keep updating. We know what we have by way of our caseload and what's coming out in the decision-making of the full hearing.
Conservative
Brad Redekopp Conservative Saskatoon West, SK
I'm still very confused.
If I were working at your board, there would be some list that says today we're concerned about—pick a country—China. Tomorrow, it may change.
That's a list. Is it not? How does a person know which countries are subject to file review? Is there a procedure?
Chairperson, Immigration and Refugee Board
Do you want us to explain the procedure?
Conservative
Brad Redekopp Conservative Saskatoon West, SK
I don't need the procedure explained. I am just wondering if there is a procedure.
Deputy Chairperson, Refugee Protection Division, Immigration and Refugee Board
Yes, there is a procedure. Files come in and we look at—
Conservative
Brad Redekopp Conservative Saskatoon West, SK
Stop right there.
This sheet I have—which, I admit, is from 2019—says, “Instructions governing the streaming of less complex claims at the Refugee Protection Division”. It talks about where we get this list. I assume there's more to this document.
Is there a current document like this one?
Deputy Chairperson, Refugee Protection Division, Immigration and Refugee Board
No, we don't publish anything like that anymore.
Conservative
Brad Redekopp Conservative Saskatoon West, SK
I'm not saying it's published. Does IRB have such a document for internal purposes?
Chairperson, Immigration and Refugee Board
If I'm able to tell you the claim types for certain countries, it's because we keep track of what we're doing.
In terms of a list or the way you see it there, we've moved on from this kind of approach.
Conservative
Brad Redekopp Conservative Saskatoon West, SK
Let me ask you this differently, then.
Would Iran currently be considered as something under file review right now?
Conservative
Brad Redekopp Conservative Saskatoon West, SK
You have a claim type for Iran that would be dealt with there.
Mr. Hollmann, I'm going to ask you this question.
Do you have concerns about document accuracy, or fake documents in general?
Director General, Asylum Policy, Department of Citizenship and Immigration
Part of the integrity process across all three organizations looks at the types of information people provide, including the documents they provide to support their claims.
Conservative
Director General, Asylum Policy, Department of Citizenship and Immigration
I imagine that, across the system, yes, we are finding them.
Conservative
Brad Redekopp Conservative Saskatoon West, SK
Madame Brassard, if you take a claim from, say, Iran, as an example, it might fit into “women at risk”. You would have documents from her.
How do you know those documents are correct? How do you know it's not an IRGC official trying to get his family to Canada?
Chairperson, Immigration and Refugee Board
This is why we wait for the front-end security screenings. If there's an issue there, we will know.
We also have a research directorate with sample copies of what a legitimate document should be. There are comparisons.
If we have any doubts, we don't send anything to the paper process.
Conservative
Brad Redekopp Conservative Saskatoon West, SK
Are you confident that you have a robust way of detecting fraudulent documents?
Chairperson, Immigration and Refugee Board
We have a pretty solid way of finding them. It's a system issue. It's not just the board. They are just as concerned about it as we are, if not more.
I'm sorry, Chair. I get the message.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Julie Dzerowicz
Thank you, Madame Brassard.
Thank you, Mr. Redekopp.
Next, we'll go, for five minutes, to Mr. Zuberi.
Liberal
Sameer Zuberi Liberal Pierrefonds—Dollard, QC
Thank you, Madam Chair.
Ms. Brassard, I'd like to give you some time to elaborate on points that have been raised here in committee.
If you want to add or share anything, or clarify points, I'd like to give you the time.
Chairperson, Immigration and Refugee Board
Thank you.
Briefly, I would say that the system is a system as a whole. It starts with CBSA and IRCC, then continues with us. We are all very concerned about security issues and integrity issues, and we take these things seriously. That's why there are so many processes. It's why we look at each case so carefully.