PACP - Asylum System Management Board & Horizontal Governance - Nov 24, 2020
Key messages
The Asylum System Management Board (ASMB) was established as a Deputy-level forum in spring 2018 to improve horizontal coordination among IRCC, the IRB and CBSA, the organizations responsible for the administration and operation of Canada’s asylum system.
The ASMB has four objectives: to build joint situational awareness, develop joint strategic direction, enable timely and transparent decision-making, and foster innovation in the asylum system.
The ASMB helps maximize efficiencies by sharing information each organization needs to be aware of and align the planning, resourcing and reporting amongst the three organizations.
As each organization has a role to play in the functioning of the asylum system, the ASMB acts as a hub that helps to identify and resolve operational issues associated with the implementation of the system.
The ASMB respects the independence of decision makers at the Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada and the accountabilities of each department/agency including departmental and financial accountabilities.
Supplementary messages
The need to improve horizontal coordination for more effective governance of the asylum system was identified in the Final Report of the Independent Review of the IRB (Yeates Report), which was released in 2018.
As a result, a Deputy-level Asylum System Management Board was established in spring 2018 to improve horizontal coordination among the organizations responsible for the administration and operation of Canada’s asylum system.
The Asylum System Management Board operates in a manner that is consistent with the adjudicative independence of the IRB.
More recently, the Asylum System Management Board has been overseeing efforts to respond to the COVID-19 pandemic, including business reintegration initiatives.
In addition to business reintegration, the Board monitors and manages issues such as the implementation of asylum funding received under Budgets 2019 and 2020; asylum system performance, and efficiency pilots (e.g. Integrated Claims Analysis Centre).
Performance:
The 2019 Office of the Auditor General (OAG) Report highlighted the need for more effective performance management of the asylum system.
Following the Office of the Auditor General report, the Asylum System Management Board oversaw the adoption of updated performance targets for the asylum system.
Performance of the key elements of the asylum system continuum, from intake to removal is monitored by partner organizations on an ongoing basis, with results and analysis shared at every Asylum System Management Board meeting.
Supporting facts and figures
The Asylum System Management Board first met in April 2018 and meets every 6-8 weeks. There have been 19 meetings in total.
In 2017, Canada received 18,891 irregular asylum claims, and in 2018, Canada there were 19,844. In 2019, 16,964 irregular asylum claims were received. So far in 2020, 3371 irregular asylum claims have been received (only 374 have been received since March).
Background
The Asylum System Management Board’s principal members are the Deputy Minister of IRCC (chair); the President of the CBSA; and the Chairperson of the IRB.
The Asylum System Management Board’s role reflects existing accountability frameworks for each Deputy Head including departmental and financial accountabilities. It functions within the terms of the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act and in accordance with all applicable laws.
The Asylum System Management Board meets every 6 to 8 weeks to discuss the current status of the asylum system and make decisions relevant to its continued success.
Meetings to support the work of the Asylum System Management Board are held with partner organizations at the Director General and Assistant Deputy Minister level.
Other departments and agencies may also be invited to meetings on an as needed basis. Observer members, Shared Services Canada and Public Services and Procurement Canada generally attend each meeting.
Recommendation 3 of the OAG Audit of Immigration Removals (2020) recommended that the Canada Border Services Agency should improve the integrity of its data and case management practices so that it can better manage its removals program. Specifically, it should in conjunction with Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada, establish a process to ensure that any new information entering the database is accurate and timely. The original overall due date is September 30, 2021. IRCC is currently on track to respond to Recommendation 3.
IRCC continues to implement measures to respond to the recommendations in the audit. For example, IRCC is building on the monitoring, oversight, and compliance regime that we have put in place to focus on asylum and related enforcement processes. Since September 2019 this monitoring regime has allowed the Department, on a monthly basis, to identify delayed or improper data entry, and to take corrective action. Over the last year, a section on incomplete removal orders has been incorporated into the report to ensure that any issues are quickly addressed by the appropriate organization.
In addition, IRCC is developing a system-based solution to ensure litigation data entry is completed in a timely manner. The Department has committed to implement the solution, in conjunction with the Department of Justice and the Canada Border Services Agency, by September 30 of next year.
