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.
Liberal
Amandeep Sodhi Liberal Brampton Centre, ON
Really quickly, are you able to inform the committee on how IRCC is working with CBSA, IRB and other public safety partners to improve the security screening process while also managing and meeting targets in the immigration levels plan?
If anyone from the IRB or the CBSA would like to jump in to answer this question, please do so.
Director General, Asylum Policy, Department of Citizenship and Immigration
I would defer to CBSA on the security screening process, but you're right. All of these things are well coordinated among all three departments as we look at the asylum system. As was commented before, it is a very integrated system, with information and cases flowing among the organizations. We are continually looking for ways to streamline.
There are a number of measures under Bill C-12 that are still pending in the Senate. They will improve the asylum processes and improve some of those hand-offs between organizations.
I don't know if my CBSA colleague wants to add anything on security screening, in particular.
Director General, Immigration and Asylum Policy, Canada Border Services Agency
If I recall, the question had to do with the levels plan and the impact on security screenings.
I think it would be fair to say that as the level of effort on the number of new permanent residents and new temporary persons coming into the country, whether to study, work or visit, is reduced because of the changes in the levels plan, obviously, the demand for services on that side of....
There are three pieces to security screening. There's temporary resident screening, permanent resident screening and asylum security screening. It will afford us time to dig into cases, maybe not more effectively, but it will help us to reduce some of the inventories we currently have.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Julie Dzerowicz
Thank you, Mr. Bush.
Thank you, Ms. Sodhi.
Next we'll go into our fifth round of questions. We begin with a combination of Mr. Redekopp and Ms. Rempel Garner. Ms. Rempel Garner will go first.
Conservative
Michelle Rempel Conservative Calgary Nose Hill, AB
Has there been any discussion in your department about advising the government to ask for a Supreme Court reference on the immigration components of Bill C-12 in light of the Supreme Court ruling that came out on Friday? Specifically, will Bill C-12 be compliant with the ruling as it pertains to the section 15 violation that the court found?
Director General, Asylum Policy, Department of Citizenship and Immigration
All I can say on the Supreme Court ruling from Friday, because it is relatively recent, is that I understand the Attorney General is looking at the ruling and assessing it, as well as any impacts on federal legislation.
Conservative
Michelle Rempel Conservative Calgary Nose Hill, AB
Does the government have any plans to ask for Supreme Court reference on any other components of immigration legislation in light of the ruling? I'm thinking about such things as the points system and other stuff people have said would now be ruled unconstitutional.
Director General, Asylum Policy, Department of Citizenship and Immigration
Given that the decision was just tabled on Friday, I think it's too early for us to have a good picture of the way forward.
Conservative
Michelle Rempel Conservative Calgary Nose Hill, AB
In your opinion, if the immigration components of Bill C-12 are found, through a reference, to be unconstitutional, would you see that the only way to uphold those particular provisions in the bill would be through the use of section 33 of the charter?
Director General, Asylum Policy, Department of Citizenship and Immigration
I wouldn't want to speculate on the way forward. My understanding, from the information I've seen, is that the Supreme Court ruling was specific to the day care system in Quebec.
Conservative
Conservative
Brad Redekopp Conservative Saskatoon West, SK
Madame Brassard, you spoke with my colleague Mr. Deschênes about tabling some information. I have a similar request. I will give you my request and you can put the two together and make it one request.
I'd like a breakdown of the total number of claims, and separately, the total number of persons accepted using the policy of file review. I think Mr. Deschênes suggested that it be from 2015. That's fine. I'd like it broken down by country and claim type.
I think it's reasonable to expect that within about two weeks. Does this seem like a reasonable time frame?
Chairperson, Immigration and Refugee Board
You said the number of claims. The second one I didn't get.
Conservative
Brad Redekopp Conservative Saskatoon West, SK
I'd like the number of persons accepted using the policy of file review, broken down by country and claim type.
I have some additional questions for you regarding the file review policy. Before it was implemented, did the Minister of Immigration approve the policy of file review?
Conservative
Chairperson, Immigration and Refugee Board
There was also no need for that. We operate within the legislation.
Conservative
Chairperson, Immigration and Refugee Board
Yes. Since 1993, the process has been in place internally.
Conservative
Brad Redekopp Conservative Saskatoon West, SK
This is something the IRB has done within its own authority.
Conservative
Brad Redekopp Conservative Saskatoon West, SK
If the Minister of Immigration asked you today to end the file review process, would you do so?
Chairperson, Immigration and Refugee Board
The board is independent. We operate within our legislation. This practice has been mentioned and supported by both the Yeates report and an OAG report. The few times it has been put as a question to the Federal Court, the process has been supported. I see no reason for changing it.