CIMM – Summary Report – November 18, 2022

Meeting Information - Standing Committee on Citizenship and Immigration (CIMM) - Meeting No. 41 – Conditions Faced by Asylum-Seekers - November 15, 2022 from 3:30 p.m. to 5:30 p.m.

Committee Members^{Footnote *}

BQ

• Alexis Brunelle-Duceppe (Lac-Saint-Jean, QC)

NDP

• Jenny Kwan (Vancouver East, BC)

CPC

• Brad Redekopp (Saskatoon West, SK)
• Tom Kmiec (Calgary Shepard, AB)
• Michelle Rempel Garner (Calgary Nose Hill, AB)
• Larry Maguire (Brandon—Souris, MB)

LPC 

• Salma Zahid (Scarborough Centre, ON)
• Marie-France Lalonde (Orléans, ON)
• Shafqat Ali (Brampton Centre, ON)
• Sukh Dhaliwal (Surrey—Newton, BC)
• Arielle Kayabaga (London West, ON)
• Fayçal El-Khoury (Laval—Les Îles, QC)

Witnesses Present

4:48 p.m. to 5:31 p.m.

United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees

• Rema Jamous Imseis, Representative to Canada
• Azadeh Tamjeedi, Senior Legal Officer and Head of Protection Unit

Alliance des Burundais du Canada

• Appolonie Simbizi, Secretary General

Plattsburgh Cares

• Janet McFetridge, Mayor of Champlain, New York

Takeaways

• Due to a vote in the House of Commons and committee debate on motions, the committee only met with one panel of witnesses.
• The committee adopted two motions. The first was moved by MP Kwan to invite the Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship to update the committee on the 2022 Annual Report on Immigration. The second motion was moved by MP Maguire for IRCC to submit monthly data claims to the committee.
• Discussions focused on Roxham Road, specifically in relation to the Safe Third Country Agreement, the safety and security of asylum claimants, and others.

Summary

United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) provided information on the role of the UNHCR in supporting nations and refugees alike. They shared data on global force displacement, noting that Canada receives less than 1% of the world’s refugees. They stated that Canada is well equipped and resourced to share safe access to asylum, and recognize the humane and dignified approach of Canadian authorities at the boarder.

Alliance des Burundais du Canada (ABC) discussed the publicity of Roxham Road, stating that the increase in its usage as an entry point has also augmented the debate around it. Overall, there is agreement that the situation stems from the poor asylum seeker protection system in the United States. They suggest that Canada would be dodging its responsibilities if it were to close Roxham Road without an alternative system to protect asylum seekers. ABC recommends that additional resources be added to these efforts to ensure that asylum seekers are being processed in a timely and humane manner.

Mayor Janet McFetridge, of Plattsburgh Cares (PC), shared the heartfelt encounters they had experienced on the United States side of the Roxham Road border crossing as they greeted people before they left for their journey to Canada. They painted an image of those fleeing the United States, sharing that refugees are most often scared, and running for their lives.

Questions and interventions by committee members focused on the following topics:

Safe Third Country Agreement (STCA)

• In reference to STCAs, MP Ali (LPC) sought the UNHCR’s opinion on agreements between two countries to share responsibilities when it comes to welcoming asylum seekers. In response, the UNHCR stated they are in support of STCAs so long as certain safeguards are in place.
• MP Ali (LPC) inquired whether there would be negative effects of closing down Roxham Road. PC expects that if this access point was removed, people will likely seek potentially more dangerous ways of entering Canada, such as through fields and the woods.
• MP Brunelle-Duceppe (BQ) claims that many asylum seekers avoid regular border crossings in fear of being turned away due to the STCA. He sought concurrence from the witnesses to encourage the government to suspend the STCA. ABC argued that welcoming newcomers through unofficial points of entry may not be ideal, but it is the safest way.

Safety and Security

• MP Rempel Garner (CPC) referenced a report tabled by the High Commissioner’s office that included statistics on the increasing cases of abuse in some UNHCR camps. She recalls previously meeting with Yazidis people in CIMM who had shared stories of abuse faced by majority ethnic communities in said camps. The UNHCR noted that they have zero tolerance for any kind of abuse, but was unable to speak to the specific report.
• MP Brunelle-Duceppe (BQ) explained that Roxham Road allows for human trafficking, where criminal organizations are charging people up to $10,000 to bring them to the border.
• MP Kwan (NDP) stated that the STCA forces people to use unsafe routes to get to Canada, rather than official border crossings. The UNHCR noted that despite it being an unusual entry point, Roxham Road currently meets the minimum legal requirements.

Other

• MP Rempel Garner (CPC) questioned the UNHCR on whether the United States are a safe country for refugees, adding that some civil society groups have stated otherwise. The UNHCR shared that there is no perfect asylum system, however they work with nations to identify and communicate gaps that exist in hopes to develop solutions.
• MP Kayabaga (LPC) asked what the United States and Canada can to better support asylum seekers crossing at the borders. ABC shared that many people who have crossed at Roxham Road were well integrated; many of which were able to go to school or work. She noted that the challenge lies in the way they are received at the border, suggesting that the government should provide further resources to RCMP or CBSA.
• MP Brunelle-Duceppe (BQ) outlined the journey of an asylum claimant, the waiting times and hurdles they face while their application is processed. The UNHCR described the appeal process that is available to claimants and the options available to them.
• MP Kwan (NDP) stated that people are forced to choose irregular entry points because the United States has the right to refuse individuals to asylum claims. The UNHCR shared that the United States recently repealed “the matter of AB”, to improve the decision making process related to gender-based and gang-related violence claims. The UNHCR continues to work bilaterally with the United States government on the way they determine refugee claims.

Motions

The committee debated the following motions:

• Pursuant to Standing Order 108(2), the committee invite the Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship, and department officials to update the committee on the 2022 Annual Report to Parliament on Immigration, including Canada’s Immigration Levels Plan, 2023-2025. (MP Kwan)
  • The motion was unanimously adopted.
• That, Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada table, in both English and French, with the committee, until further notice, the previous month’s number of people entering Canada through non-official points of entry, who claim asylum, not later than the 5th of the month succeeding the data. (MP Maguire)
  • MP Lalonde moved to amend the motion for the data to be shared with committee not later than the 20th of the succeeding month (rather than the 5th).
    • The amendment was adopted.
  • The motion was adopted with amendments.

Committee Forward Business

The committee will meet next on Friday, November 18, 2022 with the Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship and IRCC departmental officials to continue collecting testimony on the Conditions Faced by Asylum-Seekers study.