Annual Report on Travel, Hospitality and Conference Expenditures Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada Fiscal Year 2017-2018

As required by the Treasury Board Directive on Travel, Hospitality, Conference and Event Expenditures, this report provides information on the total annual expenditures for travel, hospitality and conference fees for Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) for the fiscal year ending March 31, 2018. It also provides the variance explanations from the previous fiscal year in each of these areas.

This information is updated annually and does not contain information withheld under the Access to Information Act or the Privacy Act.

Expenditures on travel, hospitality and conferences incurred by federal departments and agencies are related to activities that support the department’s mandate and the government’s priorities.

IRCC’s Mandate

Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) and its partners will build a stronger Canada by:

• Developing and implementing policies, programs and services that:
  • facilitate the arrival of people and their integration into Canada in a way that maximizes their contribution to the country while protecting the health, safety and security of Canadians;
  • maintain Canada’s humanitarian tradition by protecting refugees and people in need of protection;
  • enhance the values and promote the rights and responsibilities of Canadian citizenship; and
  • reach out to all Canadians and foster increased intercultural understanding and an integrated society with equal opportunity for all, regardless of race, ethnicity and religion.
• Advancing global migration policies in a way that supports Canada’s immigration and humanitarian objectives.

The Department’s vision is for a stronger Canada - a safe and secure country with a shared bond of citizenship and values; a country that continues to support our humanitarian tradition and draws the best from the world to help build a nation that is economically, socially and culturally prosperous.

Further details about IRCC’s authority, mandate and programs can be found in the department’s Departmental Results Report (DRR), Departmental Plan (DP) and other sources of relevant information located on the IRCC Web site.

Travel, Hospitality and Conference Expenditures

IRCC works in a multi-faceted, rapidly changing policy environment. Canada is a nation built on immigration, which has always played an important economic role in meeting our labour market needs. International migration is increasingly complex, with the movement of people being closely linked to trade, global health, and security concerns. Even as we strengthen partnerships at home, we must also foster international partnerships to ensure well-managed, safe and secure international migration.

Managing in a global environment dictates that IRCC must travel in order to ensure program integrity and to provide an oversight and monitoring of its national and international operations.

IRCC’s hospitality expenses are mainly derived from activities related to events and meetings with foreign dignitaries as well as with federal, provincial, and territorial stakeholders.

IRCC’s conference expenses include congress, convention, briefing seminars or other formal gathering where participants debate or are informed of the status of a discipline.

In previous years, annual reports on THC expenditures reported on travel expenditures based on whether the travel was by public servants or by non-public servants. In accordance with the Treasury Board directive that took effect on April 1, 2017, departments had to provide the total expenditures for public servants and non-public servants for each travel category, starting in fiscal year 2017-18. Comparative information must be provided for each travel category, and variance explanations must be provided for variances from the previous year’s total travel expenditures. However, Departments do not have to restate their travel expenditures for the year ended March 31, 2017, by travel category.

Departments are still required to provide the total international travel expenditures for their minister and minister’s staff when those expenditures are charged to their departmental budget as part of a departmental program (where applicable).These expenditures are included in the expenditures for specific travel categories and are reported separately under international travel by minister and minister’s staff.

Travel, Hospitality and Conference Expenditures Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada Year ended March 31, 2018

Significant variances compared to the previous fiscal year

Travel:

Compared with fiscal year 2016-2017, departmental travel expenditures increased by $1.3 million (7%). The increase in 2017-2018 is mainly attributable to:

• An increase in regular temporary duty assignment costs to respond to the increase in volumes for Temporary Resident applications.
• Higher operational travel to address the significant increase in asylum claimants at the Canada-US border.
• Travel to support the delivery of core business such as but not limited to training and the transfer of knowledge.

Hospitality:

Hospitality expenditures were consistent with 2016-17 levels.

Conference fees:

Compared to fiscal year 2016-2017, departmental conference fee expenditures decreased by $35 thousand mainly due to Canada being the host for the One Young World Summit one-time event held in fiscal year 2016-2017.

Ministers and minister’s exempt staff:

Compared to fiscal year 2016-17, departmental expenditures for international travel by the Minister and the Minister’s exempt staff increased by $105 thousand, mainly due to outreach activities related to asylum claimants at the Canada-US border.

For further details on international travel, please visit the IRCC Proactive Disclosure web page.