Mr. Speaker, I rise to present a petition signed by over 13,000 people about prolonged security screening delays for PR applicants.
Internal IRCC projections reveal that PR applications referred for comprehensive security screening are projected to take nearly 65 months, which is over five years, to complete. I have so many constituents who are faced with this problem.
The petitioners point out that the applicants from certain countries of origin face indefinite, non-transparent delays, that these delays cause severe harm, including prolonged family separation, mental health crises and significant financial burdens, and that the applicants lack meaningful recourse or transparent case information.
The petitioners call on the House for a number of measures to ensure accountability and transparency, so that people will know what is going on with their file. They want the reporting of data and for an independent immigration ombudsperson to investigate chronic delays and provide a formal escalation channel.