Immigration

We live in a time of rising global uncertainty. It is more important than ever that the Canadian immigration system can respond to arising global crises in an expedient and flexible manner. Alarmingly, this is not the case.

Even before major global refugee crises such as the Afghanistan, and Ukrainian crises, IRCC has been struggling with massive backlogs in all the immigration streams. Delayed immigration application is the most common request for assistance at my office, with some applications delayed for years! Behind the delayed applications are separated families, missed opportunities, and in some cases, immigration is a life-and-death situation for people who need to leave dangerous situations.

To start, IRCC should stop the practice of returning applications when there are minor mistakes and missing information and documents that can be easily provided by applicants. IRCC must also end oppressive immigration policies such as the inhumane cap on parent/grandparents’ sponsorship applications, closed work permits for migrant workers, and the unfair treatment of caregivers and domestic workers.

Lack of resources for IRCC is the major root cause of delayed applications. I will continue to advocate for adequate resources for IRCC to process applications in consistently reasonable timeframes and for immigration policies that are more just.

CIMM#64: Debating Bill S-245

Before I speak to the motion, I want to first touch on an issue with your decision.

What you found is that the matter raised relates to a matter of privilege. However, it is my understanding, Madam Chair, that you have not found that privilege was violated at this committee. I just want to make sure that was the case.

With respect to the motion from Mr. Dhaliwal, I certainly support the motion to call the witness to come before the committee to provide clarity on the question of privilege. To be sure, if that motion passes, the motion is to call the witness to speak before the committee on the question around privilege and not to revisit, I assume, the issue around Bill S-245. If I'm incorrect, I would like to have some clarity on that. I think that's an important motion from this perspective.

I had the chance to review the Hansard from Mr. Kmiec that was made at the last committee meeting. He seemed to indicate that he believed a breach of the committee's privilege has occurred. I will quote from it:

What I have heard about the Liberal NDP compromise is that they will offer subamendments—

CIMM#63: Jenny tables amendments for S-245 to fix the issue of Lost Canadians

“Thank you very much, Madam Chair.

I will move NDP-3.

This amendment is really related to the package on the second generation cut-off rule. It extends citizenship to the second generation born abroad and subsequent generations, and restores those impacted since the second generation cut-off rule was enacted back in 2009.

Included in this, I should just point out that it also recognizes the connections test and that it would apply to both the parents and the grandparents.”

CIMM#62 Debate on Bill S-245

“ This amendment aims to address the second generation cut-off rule. Committee members will know that in 2009, under Bill C-37, the right for Canadians to pass their citizenship on to children born abroad was taken away. As a result, it has created a new class of lost Canadians. That's been extremely problematic. That was done back in 2009 by the Conservative government.

This amendment aims to restore that right to those individuals by establishing a connections test to Canada. I'm proposing that we establish the connections test in four ways. It says:

(i) the person has been physically present in Canada for at least 1,095 days,

(ii) the person has been registered as an elector or a future elector under the Canada Elections Act,

(iii) the person has studied at an elementary, secondary, post-secondary or vocational school in Canada, or

(iv) the person has been employed by the Government of Canada, or has been a representative or delegate of Canada, at an international organization, summit or forum.

I'm moving this amendment, Madam Chair, because I think it is important to recognize those lost Canadians. If they meet any one of those connections tests that I've highlighted, I think they should be able to have the right restored to them.

Madam Chair, at this point I'm just wondering if I should I read out the content of the amendment as it is drafted by the legislative council. Can I just say that I move NDP-1?”

Humber News: Some Hong Kongers in Canada find it’s hard to stay as special program ends

Jenny Kwan, MP for Vancouver East and the NDP critic for Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship, said Ottawa needs to review the program as the program’s limitations barred many Hong Kongers from seeking permanent safety here.

“The scheme is fraught with problems and barriers,” Kwan said. “Many people would have graduated more than five years ago, and they are not able to get into the scheme.”

Kwan said Ottawa should “have a reality check” and overhaul the program by extending the deadline and expanding its eligibility.

“I raised concerns to the minister (Sean Fraser) about the looming deadline,” she said. “The government must make a decision quickly. there will be people left out otherwise.

“The Canadian government said we will continue to stand shoulder to shoulder with the people of Hong Kong,” she said. “If that’s the case, they need to take action, otherwise it’s meaningless, then the policy is not worth the paper that is written on.”

Globe: Critics question Harjit Sajjan’s revelation he didn’t check e-mail during fall of Afghanistan

Asked by The Globe on Parliament Hill Thursday to clarify what he said, Mr. Sajjan declined to answer questions, saying he was late for a meeting.

During Question Period on Thursday, NDP MP Jenny Kwan called the revelations shocking. “Does the Prime Minister really think this is acceptable?” she asked.

Neither the Prime Minister nor Mr. Sajjan were at Question Period, leaving Immigration Minister Sean Fraser to respond. He defended the government’s response to the crisis in Afghanistan, saying Canada helped to save thousands of lives through its evacuation efforts.

HANSARD: Order Questions on IRCC application processing

HANSARD: Will the PM step in to prevent the processing backlog from getting even worse at IRCC?

HANSARD: Debate in Parliament on Jenny’s attempt to fix Conservatives’ punitive immigration law that stripped 2nd generation Canadians and their descendants born abroad from their citizenship.

CIMM#60: In camera meeting on conditions faced by asylum-seekers

Moving2Canada: Canada updates dual intent to prevent unnecessary rejections

Canada’s New Democratic Party (NDP) immigration critic, Jenny Kwan, has long been lobbying the federal government to address the failure of dual intent to protect Temporary Resident Visa (TRV) applicants from entering the country to reunite with their spouses.

“I continue to be concerned that it may set much higher expectations for them to demonstrate that they intend on leaving the country once the TRV is expired,” Kwan wrote, “Many applicants going through the spousal sponsorship process have expressed their frustration with having been repeatedly denied dual intent TRVs for not satisfying immigration officers that they will leave Canada, despite providing documentation to show strong ties to their country of origin and a history of respecting previous visa restrictions.”

Kwan has tabled a private member’s bill stipulating that loved ones with family sponsorship applications waiting to be processed may not be refused entry to Canada as a temporary resident solely on the grounds that they have not established they will leave before their documents expire, unless they have a history of non-compliance with requirements to leave Canada or another country.