CIMM Committee Meeting

The Standing Committee on Citizenship and Immigration met at 11:07 a.m. this day, in Room 209 West Block, the Chair, Andrew Telegdi, presiding.

Clair Morris, Ken Potvin, Carmen Hust and Nancy Worsfold made statements and with, Karen McBride, Carmen Hust and Luz Maria Alvarez Wilson, answered questions.

At 12:52 p.m., the sitting was suspended.

At 1:00 p.m., the sitting resumed.

Meili Faille moved, — REMAINING 2 000 STATELESS VIETNAMESE REFUGEES IN THE PHILIPPINES

WHEREAS, the 2 000 Vietnamese refugees have remained stateless in the Philippines over the last 16 years without being given any status;

WHEREAS, this small number of Vietnamese refugees represents the last group of ‘boat people’ from Vietnam, stranded in limbo since 1989;

WHEREAS, Australia and the U.K. have provided resettlement for some 300 refugees on humanitarian compassionate grounds since the year 2000;

WHEREAS, Norway and the U.S.A. have recently allowed the majority of the remaining 2 000 Vietnamese refugees to resettle in their countries on similar humanitarian grounds;

WHEREAS, some 200 families (approximately 500 individuals) are expected to be left behind without a durable solution after 16 years of displacement and statelessness;

WHEREAS, many of these families have relatives such as parents, siblings, and other relations living in Canada;

WHEREAS, the Vietnamese Community in Canada have found willing and able Canadian sponsors for all of the 200 refugee families;

WHEREAS, Canada accepts some 30 000 refugees annually and already has in place programs that would allow the resettlement of these families;

WHEREAS, these families meet the criteria set under the ‘Country of Asylum’ class which requires that the applicant:

• Be outside his/her country of citizenship

• Has been affected by civil war or armed conflict or

• Has suffered violations of human rights;

• Has no possibility, within a reasonable period of time, of having a durable solution; and

• Be privately sponsored

The Standing Committee on Citizenship and Immigration requests the following:

1. The Honourable Minister of Citizenship and Immigration to allow the resettlement of these families in Canada under the ‘Country of Asylum’ class, on humanitarian compassionate grounds, during the 2005-2006 financial year.

2. During this process, these families be required to undergo normal procedures like all other refugees admitted into Canada.

3. The Honourable Minister of Citizenship and Immigration to respond, in writing, to members of this Committee, within a reasonable period of time, the overall result of Canada’s efforts in providing a durable solution to this last group of ‘boat people’ from Vietnam.

After debate, the question was put on the motion and it was agreed to.

Diane Ablonczy moved, — The Standing Committee on Citizenship and Immigration requests the following:

1. The total number TRP's recommended by the Minister of Citizenship and Immigration, concurred in by the Minister of Citizenship and Immigration, or otherwise personally and directly approved by the Minister of Citizenship and Immigration, during the period January 1, 2003 to December 31, 2004.

2. The number TRP's recommended by the Minister of Citizenship and Immigration, concurred in by the Minister of Citizenship and Immigration, or otherwise personally and directly approved by the Minister of Citizenship and Immigration, during the period January 1, 2003 to December 31, 2004, broken down by calendar month.

3. The total number TRP's recommended by the Minister of Citizenship and Immigration, concurred in by the Minister of Citizenship and Immigration, or otherwise personally and directly approved by the Minister of Citizenship and Immigration, during the period January 1, 2003 to December 31, 2004, broken down by postal code of the recipient.

4. The number TRP's recommended by the Minister of Citizenship and Immigration, concurred in by the Minister of Citizenship and Immigration, or otherwise personally and directly approved by the Minister of Citizenship and Immigration, during the period January 1, 2003 to December 31, 2004, broken down by calendar month, by postal code of the recipient.

5. The total number TRP's recommended by the Minister of Citizenship and Immigration, concurred in by the Minister of Citizenship and Immigration, or otherwise personally and directly approved by the Minister of Citizenship and Immigration, during the period January 1, 2003 to December 31, 2004, that were required to overcome criminal inadmissibility provisions of Canada's immigration laws and regulations.

6. The total number TRP's recommended by the Minister of Citizenship and Immigration, concurred in by the Minister of Citizenship and Immigration, or otherwise personally and directly approved by the Minister of Citizenship and Immigration, during the period January 1, 2003 to December 31, 2004, that were required to overcome criminal inadmissibility provisions of Canada's immigration laws and regulations, broken down by postal code of the recipient.

7. The total number TRP's recommended by the Minister of Citizenship and Immigration, concurred in by the Minister of Citizenship and Immigration, or otherwise personally and directly approved by the Minister of Citizenship and Immigration, during the period January 1, 2003 to December 31, 2004, that were required to overcome medical inadmissibility provisions of Canada's immigration laws and regulations.

8. The total number TRP's recommended by the Minister of Citizenship and Immigration, concurred in by the Minister of Citizenship and Immigration, or otherwise personally and directly approved by the Minister of Citizenship and Immigration, during the period January 1, 2003 to December 31, 2004, that were required to overcome medical inadmissibility provisions of Canada's immigration laws and regulations, broken down by postal code of the recipient.

After debate, the question was put on the motion and it was agreed to.

ORDERED, — That the motions as adopted, be reports of the Committee and that the Chair present the reports to the House.

Diane Ablonczy moved, — The Standing Committee on Citizenship and Immigration requests the following:

1. That the Department of Citizenship and Immigration provide the Committee with a detailed, step-by-step, explanation of the process that results in specific targets being set for each immigration processing post at each visa office. This explanation shall identify the persons who are significant intervening in this process, including public servants with the Department of Citizenship and Immigration. All individuals who have been involved in this process within the previous eight (8) months who are not public servants with the Department of Citizenship and Immigration shall be identified by name.

2. That the Privy Council Office provide the Committee with a detailed, step-by-step, explanation of the process that results in specific targets being set for each immigration processing post at each visa office. This explanation shall identify the persons who are significant intervening in this process, including all persons not employed with the Privy Council Office. All individuals who have been involved in this process within the previous eight (8) months who are not employees of the Privy Council Office or the Department of Citizenship and Immigration shall be identified by name.

After debate, the question was put on the motion and it was agreed to.

ORDERED, — That the motion as adopted, be a report of the Committee and that the Chair present the report report to the House.

By unanimous consent, it was agreed, — That the Chair be authorized to write on behalf of the Committee, to the appropriate Ministers informing them of the motions adopted on Tuesday, March 22, 2005 by the Standing Committee on Citizenship and Immigration.

Colleen Beaumier moved, — That the House of Commons Standing Committee on Citizenship and Immigration authorize the Chair to write on behalf of the Committee to the House Leaders, the Chair of the House of Commons Standing Committee on Procedure and House Affairs, and the Speaker of the House of Commons to make the following request:

Whereas House of Commons committees that are authorized to travel by the House of Commons are conducting the official business of Parliament;

Whereas returning from authorized travel to vote in the House of Commons is costly, inconvenient, and disrespectful of witnesses, many of whom go to great lengths to make themselves available to appear before the committee;

Whereas Members of Parliament have a right to represent their constituents by voting in the House of Commons and should not be hindered by the fact that they are outside of Ottawa conducting official parliamentary business;

The House of Commons Standing Committee on Citizenship and Immigration recommends that when there is a vote in the House of Commons and a House of Commons Committee is traveling on official business, the Standing Committee should be viewed, for the purpose of said vote, as an extension of the House of Commons and the clerk of the Committee should be authorized to register and report the vote to the Speaker of the House of Commons.

After debate, by unanimous consent, the motion was allowed to stand.

At 1:37 p.m., the Committee adjourned to the call of the Chair.