Mr. Speaker, as you may recall, a terrible tragedy happened in London, Ontario last fall. Very clearly, the number of petitions I have received indicate how very deeply this cut into the community. It has to do with the loss of a family of three who were waiting for landed immigrant status. The community is concerned that public service jobs have reduced staffing levels to the point that people wait inordinate amounts of time for citizenship and landed status.
The petitioners call on the government to ensure that the Department of Citizenship and Immigration is properly staffed and resourced in order to reach decisions on applications in a fair and timely manner and that all immigration officers consider factors with regard to humanitarian and compassionate grounds.