Citizenship and Immigration committee  Are you referring to public servants?

Citizenship and Immigration committee  I do not believe that the exact number has been determined. I believe it will be set after the Bill is passed.

Citizenship and Immigration committee  Oh, I know my history quite well. They were welcomed. They were welcomed with open hands.

Citizenship and Immigration committee  I can just reply to you that if you knew your history you would know that there was a compulsory draft for the Vietnam War. There is no compulsory draft in the United States today. It is not the same situation. There is no comparison. That's number one. Number two, I consider the United States to be a democracy, just like Canada.

Citizenship and Immigration committee  I wasn't a member of the refugee board and I wasn't a lawyer.

Citizenship and Immigration committee  Mr. Karygiannis...this is his history--

Citizenship and Immigration committee  And it still is a democratic country.

Citizenship and Immigration committee  We allowed thousands of people because it was politically motivated.

Citizenship and Immigration committee  By the current government at the time, because it was anti-Vietnam War. There was a climate of opposition to the war in Vietnam and I was part of the opposition. I marched in demonstrations at the time as a student at the University of Toronto. But it is irrelevant, completely irrelevant, to today's situation in the United States.

Citizenship and Immigration committee  It's a democratic country and I believe it's a safe country of origin--

Citizenship and Immigration committee  I will finish it with that. I believe I've answered your question. I think you are just carrying on as usual. If somebody else would like to ask a question, I'd be happy, but I will not engage in this kind of trite debate.

Citizenship and Immigration committee  Thank you for having me here.

Citizenship and Immigration committee  Yes, since I was asked to come at the very last minute yesterday--

Citizenship and Immigration committee  --I'm sorry that I don't have speaking notes to hand out now, but I can hand them out tomorrow if you wish. Just briefly, regarding my background, in addition to being a senior immigration and refugee lawyer in Ottawa with a vast refugee practice as well as an immigration practice, I am a former member of the Immigration and Refugee Board.

Citizenship and Immigration committee  That's okay. So I speak from hands-on experience. I am not talking for political motives. I will give you a most recent example. This happens on a regular basis. I got a call last week from a gentleman, an Armenian in the United States, who's there on an ESL visa, either to study or to teach.