Madam Chair, the hon. member clearly knows that I am not the Minister of Public Safety and that security screening is done by the Department of Public Safety.
House of Commons photoWon his last election, in 2025, with 55% of the vote.
Business of Supply May 24th, 2018
Madam Chair, the hon. member clearly knows that I am not the Minister of Public Safety and that security screening is done by the Department of Public Safety.
Business of Supply May 24th, 2018
Madam Chair, the officials from the IRCC as well as Public Safety have met with the Iranian Canadian Congress, as well as other community representatives, on this issue. They have committed to working with the community to address their concerns and are engaged in working together with the community to process the applications efficiently.
Business of Supply May 24th, 2018
Madam Chair, it is not uncommon for permanent resident applications to be delayed by security screening when the latter is affected by the complexity of the case, the delay in which the applicant provides the necessary information, and the overall volume of security screening applications.
Business of Supply May 24th, 2018
Madam Chair, our officials as well as those from Public Safety have met the particular members of this community and we are committed to addressing their concerns.
Business of Supply May 24th, 2018
Madam Chair, our government is committed to ensuring that every application is assessed based on its merits, in a fair manner, and in accordance with Canada's laws. We acknowledge that some applicants have experienced security screening delays and are working with our partners to process applications efficiently.
We have engaged with the particular community mentioned by the member opposite that is impacted by these security screening delays and have committed to addressing their concerns.
Business of Supply May 24th, 2018
Madam Chair, we are very proud of the fact that we are once again making the necessary investments in more border security operations to allow the CBSA to do the work it was hampered in doing by the Harper Conservative cuts of $390 million. We are proud to be making the necessary investment of $74 million in the Immigration and Refugee Board so that refugee claims can be processed faster and people's lives will not be left in limbo for years and years. We are proud of the fact that we have expedited work permits for asylum claimants so that they will put minimal pressure on provincial social services and can support themselves.
Business of Supply May 24th, 2018
Madam Chair, the hon. member is so thankful for the CBSA that he agreed to join a party that, when it was in power, cut $390 million from that agency. This is the record of the party opposite. The members of the party opposite are trying to show once again that they care about immigration processing, but they left us with an abysmal record of backlogs and very long processing times. Live-in caregivers, for example, who provide an invaluable service to Canadian families, under the Harper Conservatives had to wait for between five and seven years to reunite with their families. We have reduced that to 12 months. We are reducing the backlog by 63% and have committed to eliminating it by the end of 2018. That is our record, and I am happy to put that record against theirs any day.
Business of Supply May 24th, 2018
Madam Chair, the hon. member is bringing passion to the issue of border security, but he knows very clearly that the Harper Conservatives cut $390 million from border security operations. They introduced a convoluted scheduling system into the IRB that resulted in thousands of people being held in limbo for years by the Immigration and Refugee Board. Their record in terms of immigration processing is horrendous. It kept families apart for years.
We are doing the right thing. We are making the necessary investments to respond to the cuts that were made under the Harper Conservatives. We are reuniting families. We are making sure that we invest in border security operations and that we can also meet our international obligations. We know something that the Conservatives do not seem to understand, which is that investment follows talent. That is why we are making the necessary investments: to ensure that the express entry system and the global skills strategy attract the best and the brightest to Canada.
Business of Supply May 24th, 2018
Madam Chair, I do not know what the hon. member is referring to. Our campaign of outreach and engagement is precisely meant to discourage irregular migration, not encourage it, so what the hon. member is stating is completely inaccurate.
We have a six-point plan, which includes an aggressive outreach plan for deterring irregular migration, and we are making the necessary investments for faster processing of asylum claims.
Business of Supply May 24th, 2018
Madam Chair, the hon. member should know that the CBSA is in charge of removals. About 8,000 individuals per year are deported if they are found ineligible to stay in Canada.