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
Chairperson, Immigration and Refugee Board
Thank you.
When the department comes and asks for somebody to—
Conservative
Conservative
Michelle Rempel Conservative Calgary Nose Hill, AB
No, it's my time.
The next thing I would like to ask is this: Ms. Brassard, would a former director under Iran's ministry of roads and urban development, who was a 22-year civil servant with ties to the Iranian regime and described as a political asset of the regime, be considered a senior official under the law and ordered to be deported?
Chairperson, Immigration and Refugee Board
It depends on the nature of the evidence adduced during the hearing—
Conservative
Michelle Rempel Conservative Calgary Nose Hill, AB
Do you think they should be considered a senior official?
Chairperson, Immigration and Refugee Board
It depends on the nature of the evidence.
Conservative
Michelle Rempel Conservative Calgary Nose Hill, AB
Mr. Bush, would it be easier for your department to deport Iranian officials, people with ties to the regime, if the law was changed to clarify that non-citizens with ties to the regime would be deemed inadmissible if involved in regime-linked businesses, spreading propaganda or human rights abuses?
I'm thinking of such cases as the guy who was the head of the Iranian state-funded newspaper, a deputy political leader of the Friday imams policy-making council and the supreme leader's head of office in the U.A.E. He has not been deported.
Would changing the law make the job a little easier there?
Director General, Immigration and Asylum Policy, Canada Border Services Agency
I'll leave the questions of changing the law to Parliament, but in terms—
Conservative
Michelle Rempel Conservative Calgary Nose Hill, AB
I'm trying to make a suggestion to change the law, because it seems crazy to me that I'm arguing with the head of the IRB about whether we should be protecting the identity of a senior Iranian official when members of the Iranian diaspora communities are having their businesses shot up in Canada.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Julie Dzerowicz
Thank you, Ms. Rempel Garner.
Thank you, Mr. Bush.
Next we go to Mr. Zuberi for five minutes.
Liberal
Sameer Zuberi Liberal Pierrefonds—Dollard, QC
Thank you, Madam Chair.
I'd like to thank the witnesses for being here today.
I'd like to slow down a moment, because I know there's been a bit of a charged environment in this committee.
I would like to talk about the rule of law—the IRB and its role in implementing the rule of law.
Specifically, you talked earlier about the legislation guiding you. Is that correct?
Liberal
Sameer Zuberi Liberal Pierrefonds—Dollard, QC
You explained how the legislation requires a certain mode of functioning with respect to claimants and how the process happens, and that means it is in camera on occasion. Is that correct?
Chairperson, Immigration and Refugee Board
Refugee claims are always in camera.
Liberal
Sameer Zuberi Liberal Pierrefonds—Dollard, QC
What exactly does “in camera” mean, for the layperson?
Chairperson, Immigration and Refugee Board
It's in private. It means that the hearing is not public. When we issue the decision, the names are not going to be public.
Liberal
Liberal
Sameer Zuberi Liberal Pierrefonds—Dollard, QC
Let's continue with the concepts in law for the non-lawyers watching.
A claim has to be proven, an allegation has to be proven normally when it's levelled, in law. Is that correct?