PACP - Speaking Notes for Catrina Tapley, Deputy Minister, Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada - Nov 24, 2020

Standing Committee on Public Accounts (PACP)
Immigration Removals

Ottawa, Ontario
November 24, 2020

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Madam Chair, members of the committee.

Thank you for inviting me to participate in today’s discussion on the subject of the Auditor General’s recent performance audit on immigration removals.

Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada welcomes the Auditor General’s report and agrees with its recommendations, which offer valuable insights that support ongoing efforts to improve the immigration and asylum system.

Canada is fundamentally an open and welcoming society. We are recognized as having one of the best immigration systems in the world, which is premised on well-managed migration. In order to preserve that tradition, we must remain alert to those who do not qualify to stay in Canada, or those who are otherwise deemed inadmissible.

Equally, however, we must guard against faults in our own processes. This is what brings us here today – how we can improve.

In Budget 2019, the Government of Canada invested $1.18 billion over 5 years to increase the capacity of Canada’s asylum system to process 50,000 claims a year. This funding will strengthen processes at the border and accelerate the processing of claims and removals in a timely manner.

In support of this investment, the departments who share responsibility for these processes have a duty to co-operate as effectively as possible.

Issue Identified

A key part of any well managed system is good and timely data. Our department is committed to working with the Canada Border Services Agency to ensure accurate and timely data entry to assist the Agency in managing its removal programs, as well as to ensure IRCC’s program integrity and quality assurance.

One of the concerns raised in the Auditor General’s report was the number of delays in certain removals, which were the result of deficiencies in information sharing between the Canada Border Services Agency and Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada.

Response

In response, Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada is building on the monitoring, oversight, and compliance regime that we have put in place to focus on asylum and related enforcement processes.

As a result, since September 2019 this monitoring regime has allowed us, 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, we are developing a system-based solution to ensure litigation data entry is completed in a timely manner. We have committed to implement the solution, in conjunction with the Department of Justice and the Canada Border Services Agency, by September 30 of next year.

In the more immediate term, we have taken action in recognition that the ability to co-operate effectively with fellow departments is crucial to delivering the many programs and services Canadians rely on and to maintaining public safety.

To this end, the Asylum System Management Board was established as a Deputy Minister-level forum in spring 2018 to improve horizontal coordination among IRCC, the Immigration and Refugee Board and the Canada Border Services Agency, the organizations responsible for the administration and operation of Canada’s asylum system.

Further, in 2019, the Government established a Whole of Government Strategy for increasing removals cooperation.

Under this strategy, IRCC received $21 million over 6 years to deliver capacity-building programming to increase engagement and cooperation with targeted countries.

The strategy also aligns with key findings and recommendations of the Spring OAG Report, including the need to increase engagement on removal cooperation.

Conclusion

Madam Chair, coordinated efforts on any scale rely on communication and co-operation to succeed. The Auditor General’s study of immigration removals has revealed opportunities to strengthen links between departments that are collectively responsible for immigration removals.

We have made progress, and I know my colleagues here today share my resolve to further strengthen our efforts in accordance with the recommendations contained in the report.

I look forward to answering the committee’s questions.