IRCC is actively working to ensure racial equity for employees, clients, and Canadians.
To this end, multiple measures have been put in place to support improvement and to measure progress, including but not limited to:
the establishment of anti-racism commitments across the Department;
the implementation of the Department’s Anti-Racism Strategy 2.0 which includes a transparency and accountability framework;
mandatory unconscious bias training for employees;
mentorship, sponsorship and leadership programs for equity-deserving groups; and
the creation of the Equity Branch in October 2023, which reports directly to the Deputy Minister.
The mandate of the Equity Branch is to be a centre of expertise on equity-related issues and to provide oversight and support to the Department in order to strengthen the overall culture of inclusion, and to ensure greater consistency and fairness in people management, policy and program development, and service delivery.
Establishing the Equity Branch includes the creation of an Ombuds Office that will be responsible for reviewing complaints involving racism and discrimination. It will be an accessible, trusted and informal resource for employees.
Key Messages
The significant growth in the number of international students coming to Canada has highlighted the vulnerability faced by some students, which can be amplified by their gender, race, age, financial status, and whether they have a disability.
Currently, IRCC is undertaking an analysis of how to best optimize the selection and retention of international students, while improving client service, program integrity, and maintaining public confidence. As part of this review, IRCC will conduct a comprehensive Gender-Based Analysis (GBA+) of the International Student Program, and will apply a Racial Impact Assessment Tool (RIAT) prototype to look for systemic racism and racial inequity within the program.
Racial Impact Assessment Tools
IRCC is committed to finding institutional solutions to the engrained issues of racism that were uncovered by taking concrete actions. One of those commitments is to address systemic racism and obtain a baseline understanding of biases and inequities by reviewing our programs, policies and services.
The Service Delivery Racial Impact Assessment Tool facilitates the identification and elimination of systemic racism and bias in the implementation of policies, programs and services with applicants and external partners. Its use allows identifying if or when practices have differential impacts on racialized clients.
Supplementary Information
The Government of Canada acknowledges leaders’ roles in the successful progression of anti-racism initiatives, in the workplace, and for clients. The Privy Council Office’s Call to Action Forward Direction Message to Deputies, published on May 9, 2023, sets out expectations on setting multi-year goals, measuring progress on inclusion, representation goals, and ensuring accountability mechanisms on anti-racism, diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives.
