Mr. Speaker, my question is directed to the Minister of Citizenship and Immigration. Anatoli Delets and his family came to Canada from the former Soviet Union in 1992. Their refugee claim has been turned down and this family, despite having integrated well into Quebec society, will soon be deported to Moldavia. There is every reason to believe that they will be subject to the same persecution as they were before they left that country, for Mrs. Delets is Jewish and is not considered a Moldavian under that country's laws.
How can the minister explain that, instead of exercising his discretionary powers to allow the Delets to become permanent residents, he has allowed employees of his department to arrest Mr. Delets and place him in a detention centre awaiting deportation, which will take place as soon as his wife is released from hospital?