CIMM - Member Biographies – Standing Committee on Citizenship and Immigration (CIMM) Ministerial Appearance on the 2020–2021 Main Estimates and Supplementary Estimates B - Nov 25, 2020
CPC
- Raquel Dancho, Vice-Chair, Shadow Minister for Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship
- Dean Allison, Shadow Minister and Vice-Chair of the Standing Committee of International Trade
- Jasraj Singh Hallan, Deputy Shadow Minister of Multiculturalism
- Bob Saroya
BQ
Christine Normandin Second Vice-Chair Critic for Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship
NDP
Jenny Kwan, Critic for Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship
LPC
- Salma Zahid, Chair
- Mon. Geoff Regan
- Soraya Martinez Ferrada
- Sukh Dhaliwal
- Anju Dhillon
- Marc Serré
Raquel Dancho (Kildonan—St. Paul, MB), Shadow Minister for Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Immigration
Immigration topics of Interest
- Family reunification, for compassionate reasons and for economic prosperity
- Disproportional impacts of the recession on women because lack of child care
- Employment opportunities for students
- Preparation for the second wave of COVID-19
- Anti-racism action plan
- Amendment of Citizenship Oath
Parliament
Raquel Dancho is the Vice-Chair and Shadow Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship. She was previously the Opposition Critic for Diversity, Inclusion and Youth and an active member of the Standing Committee on the Status of Women.
MP Dancho is critical of the Government’s immigration policy, particularly how it has been affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. MP Dancho takes interest in the barriers affecting family reunification such as the backlogs and processing times for temporary resident visas and how these delays affect families and international students. Recently, MP Dancho has shown her support for amending the Citizenship Oath.
Social Media and Press
- Oct 30 – Tweet “The Liberals have failed to lay out a plan to bring in newcomers to Canada safely. No widespread access to rapid tests and the 14 day quarantine is not a financial option for many people.”
- Oct 30 – Tweet “They have no plan to better resource immigration department to fulfil the levels promised. Liberals are simply adding to their massive, years-long immigration backlogs that fail to provide potential newcomers with certainty, dignity or respect.”
- Oct 30 – Tweet “The minister’s announcement did not acknowledge the economic devastation caused by COVID-19 or the hundreds of thousands of Canadians facing unemployment since the pandemic hit and how these new ambitious immigration numbers will impact them.”
- Oct 29 – Tweet “The minister promised to process extended family reunification applicants within 14 days. It's been 7 months and families don't know how much longer they'll have to wait. No more excuses, get it done.”
- Oct 18 – Retweet “Pregnant Canadian woman Samantha is due to give birth in Nov. Her USA partner applied for the exemption Oct 8th and hasn’t heard back yet. We need these approvals ASAP so that a father can be there for his daughter’s birth. #LoveIsNotTourism”
- Oct 14 – Tweet “The Trudeau Liberals said NO to studying the impact of COVID-19 on: Broken Spousal Sponsorship Program; the unfair parent and grandparent Liberal lottery; separation of adopted children from parents; expired CoPR confirmation system leaving families stranded”
Background
MP Dancho was born in Beausejour, MB to four generations of Canadian farmers and small business owners and holds a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science.
- Runs a consulting business that provides policy research and web development services to the private sector.
- Worked in Manitoba Government as the Executive Assistant to the Minister of Sustainable Development and to the Minister of Sport, Culture and Heritage.
Christine Normandin (Saint-Jean, QC), Deputy House Leader of the Bloc Québécois, Critic for Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship
Immigration topics of interest
- Family reunification
- Refugees working in essential and frontline jobs
- Temporary foreign workers and seasonal workers
- International students
- Amendment of Citizenship Oath
Parliament
MP Normandin is the Deputy House Leader of the Bloc Québécois, the BQ Critic for Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship and is a member of multiple Parliamentary Associations and Interparliamentary Groups.
MP Normandin has criticized the immigration request process and its impacts on those working frontline jobs, international students, as well as family reunification. MP Normandin states that “the Bloc Québécois has been criticizing the delays in processing immigration applications for a long time now. What was already an issue is now taking a major human toll, especially in the context of the current crisis.” They stressed the importance of frontline workers during this pandemic and called for changes that would reduce the processing time for frontline workers.
Recently, MP Normandin has stated their support for amending the Citizenship Oath and has heavily criticized the government on how they’ve implemented the calls to action thus far stating: “I do not think the government is in much of a rush to implement the recommendations of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada. The consultations with first nations, Métis and Inuit peoples began in 2016, so it is a little surprising that the government did not introduce the first version of this bill for first reading until May 2019 and that it chose to do so at the end of the Parliament.”
Social media and press
- Oct 24 – Retweet “Parmi les anges-gardiens qui ont risqué leurs vies pour les aînés du Québec, on compte des centaines de demandeurs d'asile. Le #BlocQc presse Ottawa d'activer le programme de demande de résidence permanente pour les services exceptionnels rendus.”
- Sept 14 – Tweet “J’ai écrit au ministre de l’immigration il y a deux semaines. Au Bloc, nous sommes en mode proposition pour aider rapidement les familles à être réunies.”
Background
A proud Johannaise, MP Normandin grew up in the region. She obtained a Bachelor of Science in Biomedical Sciences; research internship on melanoma in India.
- Appointed lawyer in 2015, began as a general practitioner in solo practice before joining a firm specializing in international family law and child abduction.
- Sat on the board of directors of the École secondaire Marcellin-Champagnat and was president of the Bloc Québécois Political Commission.
- Named Volunteer of the Year 2018 by the Young Bar Association of Montréal for the hours she has devoted to helping citizens prepare for their court hearings.
Jenny Kwan (Vancouver East, BC), Critic for Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship
Immigration topics of interest
- Amendment of Citizenship Oath
- Permanent residence pathways
- Temporary foreign workers and work permits
- Emergency assistance and immigration eligibility
- Caregivers and Parents and Grandparents
- Hong Kong asylum seekers
- One-year window of opportunity
- International students
Parliament
MP Kwan is the NDP Critic for Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship. She has formally been named Critic for Multiculturalism and Vice-Chair of the Standing Committee on Citizenship and Immigration.
In light of the pandemic, MP Kwan has criticized the immigration process and how it affects family reunification, particularly how it affects spousal sponsorship and caregivers. In addition, MP Kwan has questioned the actions the minister plans to take on addressing the living and working conditions of migrant workers during the pandemic.
She brought forward the issues international students face due to the visa processing for temporary residence visas. MP Kwan has also been discussing the situation in Hong Kong and calls for discussing these issues under the lens of immigration. Recently, MP Kwan has shown support for amending the Citizenship Oath.
Social media and press
- Nov 2 – Tweet “Loved ones going through the long process sponsoring their family member are still being denied TRVs while they wait for a decision. “Strong ties" to Canada put them at a disadvantage for refusals under s. 179(b) #prioritizefamilysponsorship”
- Nov 2 – Tweet “The Liberals also specifically claimed to support TRV applicants affected by the Beirut explosion. It's shameful to see that, despite this, many spouses in Beirut are still being denied under 179(b) for the purpose of visit (reunification) and the economic situation in Lebanon.”
- Nov 2 – Tweet “Immediate exemptions to s. 179(b) need to be made for family reunification. The government must then work to create a special TRV for sponsorship applicants that have been approved in principle as part of the sponsorship process.”
- Oct 25 – Tweet “Canada needed to consider measures to provide “a lifeboat” for Hongkongers, via both the refugee framework and other means, such as broadening criteria for family reunification, student work visas & new pathways to citizenship #Save12HKYouth”
Background
MP Kwan was born in Hong Kong and immigrated to Canada at the age of nine. She graduated from Simon Fraser University with BA in Criminology.
- Worked as a community legal advocate in the Downtown Eastside and became the youngest city councillor elected in Vancouver’s history in 1993.
- In 1996, elected MLA for Vancouver-Mount Pleasant, becoming one of the first Chinese-Canadians to sit in the Legislative Assembly. Served as Minister of Municipal Affairs, Minister of Women’s Equality and Minister of Community Development, Cooperatives & Volunteers. Led the development of the Vancouver Agreement. Re-elected as an MLA in 2001, 2005, 2009 and 2013.
Dean Allison (Niagara West, ON), Vice-Chair of the Standing Committee of International Trade Former Shadow Minister for International Trade
Immigration topics of interest
- International students
- Refugee integration
Parliament
MP Allison is the Vice-Chair on the Standing Committee of International Trade and a member of the Standing Joint Committee Scrutiny of Regulations.
He has spoken to the Standing Committee on Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship about international students and inquired about possible ideas to help them work to work to pay off student bills.
MP Allison has also stressed the importance of a strong approach to integrating refugees and providing them with adequate social supports. MP Allison has also tabled a petition for the Minister of Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship to grant a stateless child a temporary residence permit.
Background
MP Allison was born in London, Ontario, is married and has three children. He holds a bachelor in Economics at Wilfrid Laurier University.
- Accumulated businesses and worked for a major franchise organization.
- Owns a private equity firm that assists in small business and startups.
- Involved in his community was President of the West Lincoln Memorial Hospital Foundation, President of the Lincoln Chamber of Commerce, a Director of the Ontario Trillium Foundation, and board member of Junior Achievement in Niagara.
- Founding member of the Dave Thomas Adoption Foundation in Canada and the Belarus Children of Chernobyl program that brings children affected by the Chernobyl disaster to Canada.
Jasraj Singh Hallan, Deputy Shadow Minister of Multiculturalism
Immigration topics of interest
- Border restrictions
- Permanent residency
- Sponsorship
- Immigration levels
Parliament
MP Hallan is the Deputy Shadow Minister of Multiculturalism and is a member of many Parliamentary associations and Interparliamentary groups.
MP Hallan has called for an explanation of the objective criteria officers use when issuing visas and shown concern for the possibility of “arbitrary and inconsistent” judgments, particularly when visa applications are rejected. MP Hallan has also raised concerns over the immigration processing times impacted by COVID-19 and the border restrictions imposed due to COVID-19.
Recently, MP Hallan has spoken against the amendment of the Citizenship Oath stating: “The Liberals are wasting time in having the House debate the wording of an already well-worded oath. There are so many nations around the country that need access to fresh water and employment opportunities. There are daily suicides from despair, especially in the north, and the Liberals are focused on meaningless virtue signalling. The Liberals would say this is an important step on the path toward reconciliation, but Canadians see through their endless virtue signalling.”
Social media and press
- Oct 29 – Tweet "I State this again, very clearly NHL players were able to navigate the system of stakeholders, immigration and Public Safety to play in Canada all them Foreign Nationals before the children of a Dying Canadian mother were allowed into the country."
- Oct 28 – Tweet “We have been hearing from constituents throughout the pandemic about the failures and delays in the family reunification process. This failure by the government has real life effects on physical, mental and financial health of Canadians and their families.”
Background
MP Hallan was born in Dubai, immigrated to Canada as a child and grew up in Northeast Calgary. He is married and has two daughters. MP Hallan has an accounting degree from SAIT, holds a Master Builder designation and runs a successful homebuilding business.
Bob Saroya (Markham—Unionville, ON)
Immigration topics of interest
- International students
- Effects of Covid-19 on programs and services
- Irregular migration
- Settlement and integration
Parliament
MP Saroya has formally held membership in the Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs and International Development.
He has commented on the importance of international students and their contribution to the Canadian economy. He commented that we “still have plenty of problems” when it comes to processing visa applications.
Social media and press
- YouTube – Previously shared updates on a variety of topics, including irregular migration
- Oct 28 – Retweet “Yesterday I was in Ottawa to hear gut wrenching first-hand testimony by witnesses and to hold this Government to account. #Cdnpoli #FamilyReunification #StrongerTogether”
Background
Bob Saroya was born in India and Immigrated to Canada. He is married and has three children.
- He served as a corporate director for a multi-billion dollar Canadian company.
- He has volunteered for several local charities in York Region, and meets with and mentors new immigrants.
Salma Zahid (Scarborough Centre, ON), Chair of the Standing Committee on Citizenship and Immigration (Re-elected)
Immigration topics of interest
- Family reunification
- Parents and grandparents
Parliament
MP Zahid is the re-elected Chair of the Standing Committee on Citizenship and Immigration and a long standing member of the Standing Committee on the Status of Women. She is equally the member of multiple Parliamentary Associations and Interparliamentary Groups.
In previous sessions, MP Zahid has been interested in family reunification, varying processing delays and practices for various visa offices in the context of family class applications, and shown interest in delays seen in specific spousal sponsorship cases. In the past Parliament, she noted backlogs and processing delays were the most frequent complaints from her constituents.
Social media and press
- Nov 4 – Retweet “Justin Trudeau’s government is trying a new tactic to mitigate the economic damage from a dramatic drop in immigration: persuade foreigners already in the country to stay, @shellykhagan @kbolongaro report”
- Oct 27 – Tweet “Immigration creates jobs and grows Canada's economy. Happy to read about another new Canadian success story.”
- Oct 20 – Tweet “In the meetings ahead we will hear from the Minister and expert witnesses on how the immigration system has and should be responding to the pandemic, including the impact on family reunification. Looking forward to getting started!”
- Oct 12 – Tweet “The 2020 Parents and Grandparents program opens tomorrow, Oct 13, at 12:00pm EDT and remains open until noon EST on Nov 3, 2020. Learn more about how to prepare and complete the 2020 interest to sponsor form.”
- Oct 19 – Tweet “Last week, the government announced new measures to support greater family reunification and entry for compassionate reasons. These measure are now in effect. More details”
Background
MP Zahid was born in Coventry, England, is married and has two sons. She has a Master’s degree in Educational Management and Administration from the University of London’s Institute of Education and an MBA from Quaid e Azam University in Pakistan.
- Prior to entering politics, MP Zahid was a community organizer who worked to support women, their families and youth, and held several positions with the Government of Ontario.
- She is a recipient of the Diamond Jubilee Medal for Meritorious Community Service for her contributions to Canada.
Hon. Geoff Regan (Halifax West, NS), Chair of the Special Committee on Canada-China Relations, Former Speaker of the House
Immigration topics of interest
- International students
- Francophone immigration
- Family reunification
Parliament
MP Regan is the Chair of the Special Committee on Canada-China Relations and a longstanding member of the Standing Committee on Citizenship and Immigration. Formally, he occupied the posts of Speaker of the House, Chair of the Board of Internal Economy, and Minister of Fisheries and Oceans.
MP Regan has highlighted the importance of international students and their contribution to Canada. He also questioned how the Government encourages Francophone immigration outside of Quebec and inquired about how the Government can accelerate the family reunification.
Social media and press
- Oct 6 – Tweet “It is important for families to be together, especially during a global pandemic. Canadians & permanent residents who wish to sponsor their parents & grandparents to come to Canada can submit an interest to sponsor form online from Oct 13-Nov 3.”
- Oct 6 – Tweet “To ensure equal opportunity, a random selection of those who submit the interest form will be invited to submit an application. The #ParentsandGrandparentsProgram is a vital part of Canada’s immigration system.”
- Sept 4 – Tweet “Community and business leaders in #AtlanticCanada recognize how important #immigration is to our economic recovery – and future success – in the region link”
Background
MP Regan was born in Windsor, Nova Scotia to a family of politicians. His father, Gerald Regan, was a former Premier of Nova Scotia and Cabinet Minister under Pierre Trudeau. His mother Carole Harrison, daughter of John Harrison, a Member of Parliament from Saskatchewan.
MP Regan holds a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science from St. Francis Xavier University and a Law degree from Dalhousie University. Before entering politics in 1993, he was a real estate and commercial lawyer.
Soraya Martinez Ferrada (Hochelaga, QC), Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship
Immigration topics of interest
- Francophone immigration
- Family reunification
- Effects of Covid-19 on immigration
Parliament
MP Martinez Ferrada is the Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship.
MP Martinez Ferrada has shown interest in the goal of 4.3% Francophone immigration by 2023, has asked about the Government's policies for the integration of immigrants into minority language communities and has been vocal about Francophone communities decreasing. She has equally shown interest in Francophone immigration outside Quebec.
She has also asked about labour shortages and the role of immigration in addressing skill levels needed in the country as well as an advocate for the importance of family reunification and the development of further assistance for international students, families and foreign workers.
Social media and press
- Oct 13 – Tweet "Les familles qui souhaitent appliquer pour le programme Parents & Grands-parents peuvent le faire dès maintenant !"
- Oct 2 – Tweet "Le résultat d'un travail sans relâche pour faciliter le regroupement familial pour des raisons humanitaires tout en maintenant la sécurité des Canadiens! Une nouvelle qui me réjouit en tant que secrétaire parlementaire de l'Immigration"
Background
MP Ferrada is a Chilean-Canadian who immigrated to Canada in 1980 and lived in Montréal. She has a background in communications and project management and has over 10 years of involvement in municipal politics.
- Former Montréal City Councillor for Saint-Michel (2005-2009), and was appointed to the Executive Committee as the Associate Advisor for Culture
- Former Chief of Staff to the Minister of Canadian Heritage (2015-2018)
Sukh Dhaliwal (Surrey–Newton, BC)
Immigration topics of interest
- International students
- Parent or grandparent sponsorship
- Family reunification
- Settlement and integration
Parliament
MP Dhaliwal is a member of the Standing Committee on International Trade.
Recently, MP Dhaliwal has focused on the important contributions of international students to Canada’s economy, culture and society. He has shown interest in examining family reunification and spousal sponsorships, but acknowledged that there are many dimensions to the issue.
Social media and press
- Oct 30 – Tweet “These new targets from #Immigration Minister @marcomendicino are an important part of Canada's recovery plan #Immigrants create jobs - 1/3 business owners in Canada are immigrants When our population grows, our economy grows link”
- Oct 13 – Tweet “Today the online application process to sponsoring a parent or grandparent opens You will have 3 weeks to apply for one of 10,000 spots that will be selected randomly Please visit the link for more information”
- Oct 7 – Tweet “IRCC will allocate approximately $30 million toward settlement services to help newcomers recover from the COVID-19 pandemic.”
- Oct 5 – Tweet “I'm proud to announce the opening of the 2020 Parents and Grandparents (PGP) Program building on our gov's commitment to reuniting families Great work fr Min. @marcomendicino who's really listening to #SurreyBC-Newton constituents link”
Background
MP Dhaliwal was born in India, immigrated to Canada in 1984 and became a Canadian citizen three years later. He is a businessman who co-founded a successful land surveying company and has been active in both municipal and federal politics.
Anju Dhillon (Dorval‒Lachine‒LaSalle, QC)
Immigration topics of interest
- Economic immigration
- Parent and grandparents sponsorship programme
- Food security (TFWs)
Parliament
MP Dhillon is a member of the Standing Committee on the Status of Women and formally a member of the Human Resources, Skills and Social Development and the Status of Persons with Disabilities and the Standing Committee on Canadian Heritage.
MP Dhillon has shown recent interest in sponsorships and spousal work permits, specifically that constituents feel that they have been discriminated against because officers are not always fit to understand the nature of their relationships. She has asked about bias training to this regard. She has also shown interest in biometrics, random refusals for visitor visas, and the lengthy process of labour market impact assessments.
Social media and press
- Oct 30 – Retweet “Yesterday in Parliament, I was honored to table our 2021-2023 Immigration Levels Plan, our roadmap for the next three years. Before the pandemic, our government’s goal to drive the economy forward through immigration was ambitious. Now, it is vital.”
Background
Born and raised in Montréal, MP Dhillon holds a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science from Concordia University and obtained a law degree from l’Université de Montréal.
Before her career in politics, MP Dhillon was an attorney, and the first Canadian Sikh to practice law in Quebec. She is the first person of South Asian descent to be elected in Quebec.
Marc G. Serré (Nickel Belt, ON)
Immigration topics of interest
- Francophone immigration
- Rural and northern immigration
Parliament
MP Serré is a member of the Standing Committee on the Status of Women and of multiple Parliamentary Associations and Interparliamentary Groups. He is the former Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Rural and Economic Development.
MP Serré has shown recent interest in digitizing applications, correcting the backlog of spousal applications as well as the Rural and Northern Immigration Pilot and the ability to integrate and retain newcomer families.
Social media and press
- Nov 4 – Twitter “C’est la Semaine nationale de l’immigration francophone est c’est l’occasion de rassembler les francophones, quelles que soient leurs origines, et de favoriser les échanges. Nous célébrons les contributions incroyables des immigrants français dans nos communautés.”
Background
MP Serré was born in Chelmsford, Ontario, is married and has five children. He is a second generation Member of Parliament for Nickel Belt, Ontario and is a member of the Algonquin First Nation in Mattawa/North Bay and Francophone. MP Serré holds an Honours Bachelor’s degree in Commerce from Laurentian University.
- Award winning telecom technologist
- Former manager of business services for EastLink’s operations in Ontario
- Founder and CEO of PhoneNet, a family-run internet service provider
- Former Northern Eastern Ontario Regional Director of the Canadian Hearing Society and faculty member at College Boreal and Cambrian College
- Former Municipal Council member for West Nipissing
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