Elinor Caplan

[Questions On The Order Paper, February 8th, 2000]

No group was consulted by the Standing Committee on Citizenship and Immigration during the period of February 27, 1998, through to March 11, 1998.

[Questions On The Order Paper, February 8th, 2000]

Since March 1999, 5,051 Kosovar refugees arrived under the emergency humanitarian evacuation and 2,192 Kosovar refugees arrived under the family reunification program for a total of 7,243.

1,735 Kosovar refugees have returned to Kosovo including 9 newborns who are not part of the above numbers.

Question No. 68—

[Immigration, December 16th, 1999]

Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to confirm that as of December 1 a pilot project which would ease through the establishment of identification refugee claimants to the services that they need was put in effect. This was as a result of conversations particularly with the municipality of Toronto to understand the stresses and pressures on shelter and hostel systems. We will be evaluating this and after a period of three months, we will know whether or not this is an effective measure in responding to the needs of municipalities.

I want to thank the member for his question. I think this is very important.

[Immigration, December 6th, 1999]

Mr. Speaker, there is no head tax in Canada today. What the member is referring to was a dark day in Canadian history when there was a head tax imposed on Chinese immigrants to this country. That has long since been gone.

[Immigration, December 6th, 1999]

Mr. Speaker, I acknowledge the member's interest and advocacy on behalf of his riding.

The government is committed to ensuring that newcomers have the access to the essential services that they need as quickly as possible. As a result, a pilot project in Ontario has been started.

As of December 1, all refugee claimants will receive documentation at the ports of entry. This should ensure and speed access to the important public services that they need, be they the federal interim health plan, rental housing or other social services.

This is good for refugee claimants. It is also good for the people in our municipalities—

[Questions On The Order Paper, November 25th, 1999]

With regard to groups consulted by the Standing Committee on Citizenship and Immigration on Bill C-63 in the first session of this parliament, organizations listed below received contribution funds in fiscal year 1998-1999 through May 1999, fiscal year 1999-2000, under one or more of the following Citizenship and Immigration Canada settlement programs:

Language Instruction for Newcomers to Canada, LINC, which provides training in one of Canada's official languages to adult immigrants;

Immigrant Settlement and Adaptation Programs, ISAP, which provides a variety of settlement services to immigrants, such as orientation, community information, interpretation-translation, para-professional counselling and employment-related services;

Immigrant Settlement and Adaptation Program B, ISAP-B, provides indirect services which improve the delivery of services for LINC, ISAP, or Host, such as national conventions or national publications. Proposals must involve more than one region and support national priorities;

The Host Program, which matches immigrants to Canadians who help them with various aspects of life in Canada.

Contribution agreements are signed for a total amount which covers the duration of the agreement. As the period of time for which the funding information was requested does not coincide with the periods covered by the contribution agreements, the amounts will be higher than the dollar figures for the exact period requested in the question.

[Citizenship Of Canada Act, November 25th, 1999]

moved for leave to introduce Bill C-16, an act respecting Canadian citizenship.

(Motions deemed adopted, bill read the first time and printed)

[Immigration, November 18th, 1999]

Mr. Speaker, the member is absolutely wrong. He is also confusing issues of law and order, which are policing, prosecution and the administration of justice, all of which are in areas of provincial jurisdiction, with our ability to deport and remove those who are inadmissible to Canada.

I would remind the hon. member that anyone who has committed a crime outside of Canada is not admissible to Canada. As I have said, I have no sympathy whatsoever for any foreign national who commits a crime in Canada and we will remove them as quickly as possible.

[Immigration, November 18th, 1999]

Mr. Speaker, I want to say to the member opposite and to everyone in the House that public safety is our number one concern. I have no sympathy whatsoever for foreign nationals who commit serious crimes in Canada. What this ruling means is that under the Immigration Act we will be able to and will argue for detention of anyone who poses a security threat to Canada or who we fear will flee if let free in our society.

[Citizenship, November 16th, 1999]

Mr. Speaker, I want to assure the member and all members in the House that voting is a fundamental right of our democracy. Before any vote, in any province across the country, we do everything we can to make sure that those who are eligible to vote have that opportunity and are not denied the right.

I further point out to the member that many of those people who he referred to—and I am concerned that he would deprive them to vote—were actually selected by the Quebec government as immigrants to the province of Quebec.