MP Jenny Kwan’s motion to address the differential treatment of refugees in different regions is being passed at the Immigration Committee.
CIMM MEDIA RELEASE: Extending special immigration measures to regions faced with humanitarian crises
CIMM MEDIA RELEASE: Extending special immigration measures to regions faced with humanitarian crises
For immediate release
NEWS RELEASE
Extending special immigration measures to regions faced with humanitarian crises
Canada is recognized for its historical leadership in humanitarian actions in the global community and we must also play our part now. Canadians stand in support of Ukrainians in the face of the devastating and unprovoked invasion of Ukraine by Russian President Vladimir Putin.
During the Standing Committee for Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship’s (CIMM) study of differential outcomes in Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada decisions, while many of the witnesses noted their support for the special immigration measures to Ukraine nationals and want to see the government do everything it can to help those in need get to safety expeditiously; however, they also pointed out that they see a distinct difference in how people in different regions faced with an urgent humanitarian crisis are being treated. They are calling on the government to provide the same treatment and special immigration measures to the people of Ukraine to those regions.
As such, on April 5, 2022, the Standing Committee on Immigration, Citizenship and Refugees passed the following motion:
That the Standing Committee on Citizenship and Immigration issue a press release calling on the Minister of Immigration, Refugee and Citizenship to: a) extend the special immigration measures afforded to Ukrainian nationals to other regions faced with a humanitarian crisis such as Afghanistan, Yemen, Rohingya and Hong Kong, including the expansion of biometrics collection capabilities in neighbouring countries and the issuance Temporary Resident Permits and single journey travel documents to those without a passport; b) allow displaced persons in third countries, such as Afghans and other refugees in Ukrainian refugee camps, to seek refuge in Canada; c) waive the UNHCR refugee determination; and d) make available these measures to Afghans in Afghanistan.
Given that time is of the essence, and many people are in need of assistance, such as Afghans fleeing the Taliban in Afghanistan, the Committee calls on the Minister of Immigration to immediately act on the measures noted in the motion to ensure that Canada’s response to ongoing humanitarian crises in different regions are treated with the same vigor as Ukraine.
Latest posts
The rally is organized by the Hong Kong Pathway Alliance. Similar events are also taking place in Calgary and Toronto.
The pathway allows eligible Hong Kong residents in Canada, including people who studied or worked here, to apply for PR.
People here say they have waited for years and still do not know when their applications will be finished.
“Right now I’m stuck in limbo. It’s been a year and a half. I haven’t heard back from the IRCC regarding my application, and we’re continuously arguing with, we’re continuously hoping that IRCC sees our cases,” said Vikrambir Singh, another demonstrator.
“There’s not just me, there’s 40,000 plus applications that are stuck in limbo, and we don’t know when they’re going to get processed.”
They also point to Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada’s (IRCC) processing time tool, which now suggests new applicants could wait more than 10 years for their PR.
The Immigration Minister recently told Parliament that there have been more than 46,000 applications under the Hong Kong PR pathways, and just over 13,000 had arrived.
“And the minister’s solution is, “don’t apply under the lifeboat scheme”. What is she even talking about? That scheme was specifically designed for Hong Kongers, said MP Jenny Kwan, representing Vancouver East for the NDP.
“So, it is absolutely outrageous that she would renege on the government’s promise in suggesting that the Hong Kongers should apply under a different stream. It is absolutely unacceptable.”
The federal government introduced special measures for Hong Kong residents in 2020, after China imposed the national security law in Hong Kong.
*Click image or link to read or watch the TV news story - https://vancouver.citynews.ca/2026/06/07/demonstrators-rally-hong-kong-pr-processing-backlog/
OTTAWA—The Canadian government is considering the use of artificial intelligence to save time creating influential assessment profile reports of offenders as they go to federal prisons, and is running a small-scale trial to test it, the Star has learned.
Carney government releases AI road map that aims to make Canada a leader
Federal Politics
Carney government releases AI road map that aims to make Canada a leader
Mentioned in lengthy documents tabled in Parliament last month and confirmed by Correctional Service Canada (CSC), the test run comes as the Carney government tries to ramp up AI adoption, including with billions in a national strategy released this week.
But the prison trial, which CSC says has not yet been used in real cases, is raising concerns from AI experts, criminal defence lawyers and the federal NDP’s public safety critic, who argue a widespread adoption could lead to crucial errors, exacerbate racial biases and put offenders and victims at risk.
Criminal profile reports, as they are called, are detailed “foundational documents” prepared by CSC staff during a prisoner’s intake process that identify risks and play a role in major decisions like access to programs and likelihood of parole.
Drawing from scores of official documents, they include details about an offender’s criminal history, the circumstances of their crimes, patterns of violence or behavioural, mental health and addiction issues, family and social background, trauma history, education and employment records, and even victim impact statements.
“This is what defines your offence cycle,” criminal defence lawyer Nora Demnati said of those reports. “It will have an impact on everything else that comes.”
That’s why the Carney government should slow down and consult widely, including with the CSC union, its lawyers and the Privacy Commissioner of Canada before going further, said NDP MP Jenny Kwan, the party’s public safety critic. Neither the Union of Safety and Justice Employees or the Office of the Privacy Commissioner have been consulted yet, they told the Star.
Kwan warned of a multitude of legal concerns that go both ways and can have a “cascading impact”: Violating the rights of inmates if mistakes are added to reports, on one hand, or hurting victims and prison staff if crucial information is missed by the AI summaries, on the other.
“When you have those kinds of risks associated with correctional policing matters, you can imagine what the huge ramifications might be,” Kwan told the Star. “You could potentially compromise people’s legal rights.”