Evidence of meeting #9 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 data.
A recording is available from Parliament.
Liberal
Sameer Zuberi Liberal Pierrefonds—Dollard, QC
You mentioned that you have, in addition to what the deputy minister of IRCC testified to, 140-plus arrivals and 740-plus who have been processed.
You mentioned that you also have others who are deeply vulnerable and who fit within the 10,000 approved by our Parliament here in Canada. You have others who are deeply vulnerable and have been identified, and they are ready to reach safety and security.
Is that correct?
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Julie Dzerowicz
Thank you so much, Mr. Zuberi, for being timely.
Mr. Brunelle‑Duceppe, you have the floor for six minutes.
Bloc
Alexis Brunelle-Duceppe Bloc Lac-Saint-Jean, QC
Thank you, Madam Chair.
Thank you to the witnesses.
I apologize Ms. Al Khatib, but I will continue the discussion with Mr. Tohti and come back to you later. I also did a lot of work on motion M‑62, and I'm very happy to welcome my friend as a witness today.
If you don't mind, I'd like you to confirm a few facts.
If I understand correctly, thanks to the refugee resettlement program, Canada has welcomed 143 Uyghurs. Is that correct?
Bloc
Alexis Brunelle-Duceppe Bloc Lac-Saint-Jean, QC
Currently, 740 applications are being processed or are about to be processed. Is that correct?
Executive Director, Uyghur Rights Advocacy Project
That is the number we referred to IRCC. They should be getting processed, but we don't know whether or not they are. At least we know we already referred those numbers to IRCC.
Bloc
Alexis Brunelle-Duceppe Bloc Lac-Saint-Jean, QC
The program deadline is December 31, 2025, is it not?
Executive Director, Uyghur Rights Advocacy Project
Yes, that is a concern, because the program, according to the parliamentary motion, should start in January 2024 and end by the end of 2025. It's a two-year program. We have a month and a half left. I don't know how many they can process.
Bloc
Alexis Brunelle-Duceppe Bloc Lac-Saint-Jean, QC
Not to be pessimistic, but I can't deny that the government's promised target of 10,000 Uyghur refugees won't be met.
We are here to work together and meet that target, but, obviously, that won't be possible by the deadline.
Would you recommend that the government extend the program and push back the deadline until it meets the 10,000 refugee target? Would that be a good recommendation for the committee to make?
Executive Director, Uyghur Rights Advocacy Project
Yes, that is the only option we have right now, because there's a month and a half left. That 10,000 number was referred by immigration in the beginning, when we discussed the motion. Our recommended numbers were much higher. This 10,000 came from the Minister of Immigration's office at the time.
Let's do something achievable. The 10,000 is achievable. We agreed. Now I'm saddened to see that the IRCC minister is not upholding Parliament's own promise.
Bloc
Alexis Brunelle-Duceppe Bloc Lac-Saint-Jean, QC
What I understand is that, during the discussions about the implementation of the program, they convinced you to lower your expectations, saying that a target of 10,000 refugees was achievable. Unfortunately, though, here we are a month and a half away from the deadline, and we've taken in only 143 of the 10,000 refugees we were planning to help.
You told us earlier how those refugees felt when they arrived in Canada. That was nice to hear. For the first time in their life, they felt safe.
You are also in contact with people outside Canada waiting to be added to the list. Could you tell us how they're feeling? We'd like to hear what they have to say.
Executive Director, Uyghur Rights Advocacy Project
I receive at least 100 messages from WhatsApp, email or Facebook Messenger all the time—every day. They ask whether the program has stopped.
Every day we also receive messages about court orders to deport Uyghurs back to China. Three days ago, I received such a court order from one country. Also during this process, six Uyghurs whose applications were in the middle of being processed were deported to third countries. We shared some of the information with IRCC immediately.
Now that Chinese influence has grown in central Asia, the Balkans and other areas, in order to get some sort of incentives from China, countries are deporting Uyghur refugees to please China or to attract some investment. It is official human trafficking or human bargaining that is happening right now.
Bloc
Alexis Brunelle-Duceppe Bloc Lac-Saint-Jean, QC
In your conversations with IRCC public servants, do you get the feeling the government would be open to pushing back the deadline, or are you not getting any answer from the government?
Executive Director, Uyghur Rights Advocacy Project
They're nice people and, most importantly, I don't think they're the ones who make these decisions. They implement the decisions made by some other, higher authorities. Our contacts are mostly high-level or mid-level bureaucrats who are managing this program, and the professional people.
Bloc
Alexis Brunelle-Duceppe Bloc Lac-Saint-Jean, QC
What you're saying is you have yet to hear anything from the new Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship or her parliamentary secretary regarding this program.
Executive Director, Uyghur Rights Advocacy Project
I haven't heard anything yet.
Bloc
Alexis Brunelle-Duceppe Bloc Lac-Saint-Jean, QC
We can ask them to give you an answer. Coincidentally, the parliamentary secretary sits on the committee.
Finally, Mr. Tohti, I'd like to thank you once again for joining us. I have one more question for you.
Has the government explained what the holdup is and why its promised target of 10,000 Uyghur refugees has not been met?
Executive Director, Uyghur Rights Advocacy Project
It is about the prioritization of Canada's immigration intake. I have been advocating for diversification of our immigration policy. Instead of concentrating on certain groups, creating a big—
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Julie Dzerowicz
Thank you, Mr. Tohti. I'm sorry to cut you off, but I think it's time right now.
Thank you, Mr. Brunelle-Duceppe and Mr. Tohti.
Because we have to have a shortened round simply because we have to break at 5:15 to discuss committee business, with the remaining time we'll have three minutes for the Conservatives, three minutes for the Liberals and one and a half minutes for the Bloc Québécois.
I believe we have Mr. Davies for the Conservatives, please.
Conservative
Fred Davies Conservative Niagara South, ON
Thank you, Madam Chair.
Mr. Tohti, I just want to confirm this. Did you tell me that there have been Uyghurs who were in the queue here in Canada who have been deported?
Conservative
Fred Davies Conservative Niagara South, ON
There have been no applicants who have gone through the process who have had to leave the country.
Executive Director, Uyghur Rights Advocacy Project
I was referring to applicants who already were uploaded to IRCC's system, but during that period of time they were deported. For those 50 persons, I'm not going to mention the specific country they were deported from, but I can share that information privately.