It was agreed, — That the Second Report from the Subcommittee on Agenda and Procedure, which read as follows, be concurred in:
Your Subcommittee met on Tuesday, February 4, 2014, to consider the business of the Committee and agreed to make the following recommendations:
1. That, notwithstanding the motion adopted by the Committee on Tuesday, June 4, 2013, the Committee schedule a maximum of three (3) meetings to consider the draft report on the Temporary Resident visas for visitors.
2. That the Committee study how to strengthen the integrity of the Immigration Spousal Sponsorship Program. The Committee will look at ways to ensure sponsored spouses have the skills they need to succeed in Canada; examine how to better prevent vulnerable women from being victimized by an abusive sponsor, and as a consequence any potential penalties to the sponsor. The Committee will also examine what peer countries have done to protect women in spousal sponsorship programs. More specifically, the Committee will study what actions the Government has taken or plans to take to ensure vulnerable spouses are protected and have the skills they need to succeed independently. Areas of study would include forced marriages, polygamy, proxy marriages, immigrant women in the workforce and helping women break out of isolation.
3. The Committee will look at what gaps exist in the Spousal Sponsorship Program, and provide recommendations to the Government as to what further actions should be taken to improve the conditions of vulnerable peoples.
4. That this study and resulting report be entitled “Strengthening the Protection of Women in our Immigration System”.
5. That the Committee hear from Citizenship and Immigration Canada (CIC) officials, Canadian Border Services Agency (CBSA) officials and other witnesses as the parties will submit, to help identify the gaps that currently exist and the possible solutions.
6. That the Committee hold a total of thirteen (13) meetings on this study, starting on Thursday, February 27, 2014, which are to be divided as follows:
- Departmental officials from CIC for the first two (2) hours at the beginning of the study;
- Eight (8) meetings to hear from witnesses, including one (1) hour to hear from CBSA;
- That the Committee draft a report in relation to this study and schedule one (1) meeting for drafting instructions and two (2) meetings to consider the draft report, and if needed, an additional meeting to consider its draft report.
7. That the total number of witnesses be divided among the recognized parties according to their standings in the House of Commons: twenty three (23) for the Government (Conservative Party), seventeen (17) for the Official Opposition (New Democratic Party) and five (5) for the other opposition party (Liberal Party).
8. That the meetings be divided into two (2) one-hour panels, and that each panel consist of no more than three (3) groups or individuals per hour.
9. That members submit their prioritized witness list including their contact information to the Clerk by 3 p.m. on Friday, February 14, 2014.
10. That the Committee recognizes that bills referred to the Committee will take precedence in scheduling over this study.