Citizenship and Immigration committee  Canada offers a light bulb scheme to Hong Kongers seeking refuge in Canada. I would like to highlight two challenges faced by immigrants from Hong Kong. The first one is on the MPF. The ongoing prevention of Hong Kongers from withdrawing their own retirement savings from the mandatory provident fund is a clear form of transnational repression.

Justice committee  My name is Shaffni Nalir. I grew up in Toronto, where I currently live with my wife and four children. I immigrated with my parents, who fled civil war and religious persecution in Sri Lanka. I grew up going to the Bond Street Nursery School, which was operated by the Metropolitan United Church. I grew up, like most Canadians in my age group, with 50¢ freezies, saving up pennies to buy candy from the corner store and watching The Elephant Show with Sharon, Lois and Bram.

Citizenship and Immigration committee  However, severe delays in the pathway are causing more insecurity and uncertainty in life. Without PR status, Hong Kongers cannot truly settle. Their immigration status is not permanent. Hong Kongers are afraid they may have to go back to Hong Kong and, in fear of being monitored by Hong Kong and China, cannot truly enjoy their freedom and human rights in Canada.

Citizenship and Immigration committee  Welcome to meeting number 103 of the House of Commons Standing Committee on Citizenship and Immigration. Pursuant to Standing Order 108(2) and the motions adopted by the committee on February 12, 2024, and May 1, 2024, the committee is commencing its study of pension transferability and access to the mandatory provident fund, and delays in permanent residence and visas for Hong Kongers.

Justice committee  Assalam alaikum. Peace be upon you all. I would like to respectfully acknowledge that I am an immigrant settler living, studying and playing on the unceded lands of the lək̓ʷəŋən people, known as the Songhees and Esquimalt nations, whose historical relationship with this land continues to this day.

Pandemic Prevention and Preparedness Act  The management of temporary foreign workers during the pandemic was another disaster. Inspections were rushed and the immigration and refugee protection regulations were breached several times. Even after numerous warnings from the Auditor General, the situation did not improve and the department did not honour its commitments.

Finance committee  They could be criminally charged and dealt with in the criminal justice system. Our position is that people who are in immigration detention should be in immigration detention facilities. If at all, we recommend the use of alternatives—mental health and other treatments—where needed, but you'll see in the budget that the amounts necessary to convert federal facilities to immigration stations are astronomical.

Finance committee  We also have questions about proposed changes to the corrections act to permit the housing of immigration detainees in federal correctional facilities. As the bargaining agent for CBSA, Correctional Services and immigration workers, PSAC must be consulted on any changes to job classifications, locations of work and responsibilities.

Finance committee  This could mean that the people placed in federal prisons for immigration detention could end up being far from communities, far from services and far from their care providers, so to us, the risk related to access to mental health services is very high.

Finance committee  As well as being vice-president, I'm also the detention program coordinator at Action Réfugiés Montréal. A major preoccupation of the bill is the creation of immigration stations. It's deeply disturbing that the government is proposing expanding places of detention on immigration grounds to federal correctional facilities when all 10 provinces have clearly expressed a rejection of the practice of immigration detention in jails.

Finance committee  The vast majority of those who seek asylum in Canada—almost 80% last year—are found to be refugees. We have a world-class refugee determination system to hear cases at the Immigration and Refugee Board. We need to let it do its job, but Bill C-69 is making major changes. First, division 38 is creating a worrisome new step in the refugee claim process that creates an indefinite gap before referral to the Immigration and Refugee Board—the IRB—in which claimants could be asked to provide endless information and documents with no timeline for the claim to be referred for their hearing.

Finance committee  In your view, do correctional facilities have the appropriate expertise and capacity in place to act as mental health care facilities for those who are detained under immigration law?

Finance committee  The Immigration and Refugee Protection Act allows the administrative detention of foreign nationals, and sometimes of permanent residents. Canada has three centres administered by the Canada Border Services Agency.

Finance committee  We're not sure exactly where these cuts are going to come from. Right now, the component that I'm president of, the Customs and Immigration Union at the CBSA, is short between 2,000 and 3,000 officers just to keep our borders running. That's just to give you an idea of how bad the shortfall in staff is. I don't think our situation is unique either.

Finance committee  From the Public Service Alliance of Canada, we have the director of the negotiations and programs branch, Liam McCarthy, and the national president of the Customs and Immigration Union, Mark Weber. We also have Ms. Michele Girash. I apologize, Ms. Girash, that I don't have your title, but you're welcome to let the members know what title you have with the PSAC.