The number of cases has increased considerably. Exhibit 2.4 shows that the total number of authorized positions at the board has decreased over the years. That is due in part to the fact that the board has made progress in reducing the backlog, which led to a decrease in the number of board members required.
However, at present, the backlog is still between 54,000 and 55,000 cases. A full complement of experienced members can process approximately 25,000 per year. If we assume that the oldest cases are processed first, it could take three years to process a claim received today. It is, of course, very likely that a person in that situation will put down roots in Canada over that three-year period and create links here, so that it is increasingly difficult to remove them.
This situation also generates costs for the provinces. People entering Canada are all entitled to health care programs and other benefits. There are financial costs, but there is also a human cost, as a person in this situation lives with uncertainty the entire time.
We wonder how the board will process this backlog, which must be reduced as quickly as possible.