Yes. Thank you very much, Mr. Chair.
Yes, I move that Bill C-12, in clause 43, be amended by adding, after line 2 on page 19, the following:
(1.1) If the Minister does not consider the claim within the prescribed time limit, the claim is deemed to have been determined by the Minister to be eligible.
It would also add, after line 19 on page 19, the following:
(3.1) The Minister must provide reasons for a determination of ineligibility under subsection (3).
Bill C-12, Mr. Chair, introduces a new pre-screening step to the process of seeking asylum. This “Consideration of claims” step prescribes an unnecessary layer of bureaucracy to the process, whereby the minister further considers a claim that has already been deemed admissible by an officer before that claim is ultimately “referred to the Refugee Protection Division”.
This was first introduced, in fact, in the last Parliament, jammed into the 2024 budget implementation act, Bill C-69. During the clause-by-clause consideration of Bill C-69 at the finance committee, members agreed to strike this section from the bill.
My amendment would ensure, for positive decisions that are then overturned by the minister in this new step, that reasons for the decision to overturn admissibility are given. It would also ensure that decisions to overturn are made within the prescribed time period, after which a claim that has already received a positive decision of admissibility by an officer is “referred to the Refugee Protection Division”.
