Madam Speaker, I would like to start by commenting on the extraordinary work that has been done by the Canadian Council for Refugees. I salute the organizers and delegates who are this week, May 29 to June 1, attending a four-day conference in Winnipeg. At this conference, hands-on workers in the field will be exploring the various avenues and solutions to the problems experienced by refugee claimants in Canada. I hope that their reflections will help contribute to improving the cause of refugees in Canada and in the rest of the world.
This past April 29, I asked a question of the Minister of Citizenship and Immigration concerning the deportation of Algerians. For some months the Bloc Quebecois has been demanding the suspension of returns to Algeria, given the rise of fundamentalism and the atmosphere of violence in that country. A report published March 14 by the American Secretary of State is very clear on this.
In light of this explosive situation, I am seriously questioning why the minister and his employees insist on continuing to deport Algerian nationals. It is distressing to see that Canada has gone so far as to espouse such immigration policies. This lays open to question its international reputation as a country which welcomes those whose fundamental rights have been violated, including the rights relating to their very survival. In so doing, the leaders and the public servants of this country, a country that boasts of being a great defender of all humanitarian causes, is making a mockery of its international commitments.
I would like to take advantage of this opportunity to speak out vigorously against the methods being used by the Department of Citizenship and Immigration. The complaints against these agents of removal by those deported, by lawyers and organizations defending immigrants and refugees are endless and are of the highest concern to me.
I would like to illustrate these remarks with two examples. The first dates back to May 8, when Immigration Canada decided to deport Saadi Bouslimani, a 29-year old Algerian denied refugee status. Two days later, we learn that he was not deported. He ended up in the infirmary at the Parthenais detention centre in Montreal for treatment of wounds to his head, neck and feet. He had been struck by an immigration official.
The second example is that of a Zairian national, Biha Munsi, who was drugged in order to be deported on February 23, 1994, while she was pregnant. I criticized this practice in the House at the time.
I wonder who orders the use of drugs and unnecessary force in the deportation of a recalcitrant individual.
This brings me to the advisory committee looking at conditions in countries where people are deported. The aim of this committee is to advise the Minister of Citizenship and Immigration on countries at risk and on the dangers threatening the survival of people Canada is preparing to deport to their countries. Since the composition, role and power of this committee is totally nebulous in terms of the department's organization chart and in terms of its operations, we could describe it as a phantom committee.
Because of the mystery surrounding this advisory committee, because of the aberrations and the arbitrary policies emanating from the Department of Citizenship and Immigration, I would ask the minister to affirm her leadership of this department she theoretically heads, to look more realistically and objectively at the Algerian situation and to review the $500 cost to apply for residency on humanitarian grounds.