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Minutes of Proceedings

44th Parliament, 1st Session
Meeting 34
Friday, October 7, 2022, 1:02 p.m. to 3:08 p.m.
Webcast
Presiding
Salma Zahid, Chair (Liberal)

Library of Parliament
• Andrea Garland, Analyst
The committee proceeded to the consideration of matters related to committee business.

Motion

Alexis Brunelle-Duceppe moved, — That, pursuant to Standing Order 108(3)(b), the committee undertake a study as soon as possible on the conditions faced by asylum-seekers using the irregular administrative path maintained by the Safe Third Country Agreement; that the committee consider the safety, security and health of people and families of migrants who cross the Canada–United States border at Roxham Road in particular; that the committee hold no less than five meetings to hear witnesses; and that it report its findings and recommendations to the House.

Debate arose thereon.

Amendment

Jenny Kwan moved, — That the motion be amended by replacing the words “No less than five” with the words “no more than three” and by replacing the words “and that it report its findings and recommendations to the House” with the words “that the committee report its findings to the House; and that pursuant to Standing Order 109, the government table a comprehensive response thereto”.

After debate, the question was put on the amendment of Jenny Kwan and it was agreed to, by a show of hands: YEAS: 11; NAYS: 0.

The question was put on the motion, as amended, and it was agreed to, by a show of hands: YEAS: 11; NAYS: 0.

The motion, as amended, read as follows:

That, pursuant to Standing Order 108(3)(b), the committee undertake a study as soon as possible on the conditions faced by asylum-seekers using the irregular administrative path maintained by the Safe Third Country Agreement; that the committee consider the safety, security and health of people and families of migrants who cross the Canada–United States border at Roxham Road in particular; that the committee hold no more than three meetings to hear witnesses; that the committee it report its findings and recommendations to the House ; and that pursuant to Standing Order 109, the government table a comprehensive response thereto.

Motion

Jenny Kwan moved, — That the committee study the government’s response to the final report of the Special Committee on Afghanistan entitled Honouring Canada’s Legacy In Afghanistan: Responding To The Humanitarian Crisis And Helping People Reach Safety, following the tabling of the report; that the committee invite the Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship, Minister of National Defence, Minister of Foreign Affairs and the Minister of Justice and Attorney General, and their officials, with two hours allocated for each department, to provide an update on which of the 37 recommendations related to their portfolio, they have acted on and/or its progress and which they will not implement with an explanation; and that the committee report its findings to the House.

Debate arose thereon.

Motion

Marie-France Lalonde moved, — That the debate be now adjourned.

The question was put on the motion and it was negatived, by a show of hands: YEAS: 5; NAYS: 6.

Amendment

Marie-France Lalonde moved, — That the motion be amended by deleting the words “Citizenship Minister of National Defence, Minister of Foreign Affairs and the Minister of International Development” and by replacing the words “two hours” by the words "one hour".

Debate arose thereon.

At 1:20 p.m., the sitting was suspended.

At 1:26 p.m., the sitting resumed.

After debate, the question was put on the amendment of Marie-France Lalonde and it was negatived on the following recorded division:

YEAS: Shafqat Ali, Lena Metlege Diab, Fayçal El-Khoury, Marie-France Lalonde, Maninder Sidhu — 5;

NAYS: Bob Benzen, Alexis Brunelle-Duceppe, Garnett Genuis, Jasraj Singh Hallan, Jenny Kwan, Brad Redekopp — 6.

Amendment

Marie-France Lalonde moved, — That the motion be amended by deleting the words “Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship, Minister of National Defence, Minister of Foreign Affairs and the and the Minister of Justice and Attorney General”.

Debate arose thereon.

After debate, the question was put on the amendment of Marie-France Lalonde and it was negatived on the following recorded division:

YEAS: Shafqat Ali, Lena Metlege Diab, Fayçal El-Khoury, Marie-France Lalonde, Maninder Sidhu — 5;

NAYS: Bob Benzen, Alexis Brunelle-Duceppe, Garnett Genuis, Jasraj Singh Hallan, Jenny Kwan, Brad Redekopp — 6.

Motion

Fayçal El-Khoury moved, — That the debate be now adjourned.

The question was put on the motion and it was negatived on the following recorded division:

YEAS: Shafqat Ali, Lena Metlege Diab, Fayçal El-Khoury, Marie-France Lalonde, Maninder Sidhu — 5;

NAYS: Bob Benzen, Alexis Brunelle-Duceppe, Garnett Genuis, Jasraj Singh Hallan, Jenny Kwan, Brad Redekopp — 6.

The committee resumed consideration of the motion of Jenny Kwan, — That the committee study the government’s response to the final report of the Special Committee on Afghanistan entitled Honouring Canada’s Legacy In Afghanistan: Responding To The Humanitarian Crisis And Helping People Reach Safety, following the tabling of the report; that the committee invite the Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship, Minister of National Defence, Minister of Foreign Affairs and the Minister of Justice and Attorney General, and their officials, with two hours allocated for each department, to provide an update on which of the 37 recommendations related to their portfolio, they have acted on and/or its progress and which they will not implement with an explanation; and that the committee report its findings to the House.

The question was put on the motion and it was agreed to on the following recorded division:

YEAS: Bob Benzen, Alexis Brunelle-Duceppe, Garnett Genuis, Jasraj Singh Hallan, Jenny Kwan, Brad Redekopp — 6;

NAYS: — 0.

Chamber of Commerce of Metropolitan Montreal
• Michel Leblanc, President and Chief Executive Officer
LUSO Community Services
• Irena Sompaseuth, Settlement Services Manager
Quebec Immigration Lawyers Association
• Ms. Stéphanie Valois, Lawyer and President
• Ms. Krishna Gagné, Lawyer and Vice-President for Economic Affairs
Canadian Association of Professional Immigration Consultants
• Dory Jade, Chief Executive Officer
• Avni Marfatia, Chair of the Board
Office for Refugees, Archdiocese of Toronto
• Deacon Rudy Ovcjak, Director
Pursuant to Standing Order 108(2) and the motion adopted by the committee on Tuesday, February 1, 2022, the committee resumed its study of application backlogs and processing times.

Michel Leblanc, Irena Sompaseuth, Stéphanie Valois and Krishna Gagné made statements. Irena Sompaseuth, Stéphanie Valois and Krishna Gagné answered questions.

At 2:27 p.m., the sitting was suspended.

At 2:30 p.m., the sitting resumed.

Dory Jade, Avni Marfatia and Deacon Rudy Ovcjak made statements and answered questions.

At 3:08 p.m., the committee adjourned to the call of the Chair.



Stephanie Bond
Clerk of the committee