Mr. Speaker, Alex is a visitor from Israel who is staying in Vancouver to care for his sick 90-year-old mother. When he first arrived in Canada, he was detained and scheduled for deportation the next morning. When I intervened in person at the airport immigration office, I was told Alex had not applied for exemption to enter Canada, but in fact, he had applied twice. I asked Alex to apply again. He made five more attempts, but Public Health Agency of Canada's system did not receive any of the submissions. After Alex made four more attempts the next day, PHAC's system finally acknowledged receipt of his application and Alex was allowed to stay in Canada.
I wonder how many visitors who came to Canada for compassionate reasons were sent home because of technical glitches on PHAC's system. How many are patiently awaiting exemption papers while PHAC has no idea they have applied? Could the minister please look into the efficacy of PHAC's online system to ensure visitors like Alex are not unduly deported and sick Canadians, like his mother, can get the care they need?