44th Parl. 1st Sess.
November 30, 2022 02:00PM
- Nov/30/22 2:10:03 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, today is Jewish refugee day. On this day, we commemorate the nearly one million Jewish refugees who were forcibly displaced from Arab countries and Iran between the 1940s, 1950s, 1960s and 1970s.
For centuries, large Jewish communities lived in the Middle East, Iran and north Africa in relative peace with their neighbours. However, everything changed in the years leading up to and following the rebirth of the state of Israel in 1948. Suddenly, Jews were subjected to systemic anti-Semitism and evicted from their homes. They were subjected to arbitrary arrest, torture and murder.
This year, B'nai Brith, which is Canada's oldest Jewish advocacy organization, will again commemorate these refugees and will raise awareness of this great injustice by hosting a virtual event tonight. I urge MPs from all parties to join this event. It can be accessed on the website.
Let us all remember the stories of Jewish refugees from Arab lands and Iran, and continue to fight against anti-Semitism, injustice and racism in all of its forms.
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- Nov/30/22 2:19:32 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, in honour of Jewish refugee day, I would like to commemorate the nearly one million Jews who were forced into exile from Iran and other countries in the region beginning in 1948.
This forced migration was marked by a religious persecution and even genocide. Many individuals and families found safe harbour here in Canada. The communities that thrive today contribute so much to the diverse mosaic of the Canadian identity. Anti-Semitism and racism of all kinds remain a part of the lived experience for people in Canada and around the world.
One of our best defences against this can be found through education. B'nai Brith, Canada's oldest Jewish advocacy organization, will host a virtual commemoration of the story of Jews from Iran and Arab lands this evening. The event can be accessed through the B'nai Brith website. It is through education that we can build our defences against hatred in all of its forms.
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- Nov/30/22 3:54:01 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, I have the honour to present, in both official languages, the 13th report of the Standing Committee on Citizenship and Immigration, entitled “Supplementary Estimates (B), 2022-23: Votes 1b, 5b and 10b under Department of Citizenship and Immigration and Vote 1b under Immigration and Refugee Board”.
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- Nov/30/22 6:49:44 p.m.
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Madam Speaker, I am thankful for the opportunity to come back to my question for the immigration minister about challenges being faced by members of my community seeking to reunite with loved ones, and needing to work with Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada to do so.
One example is refugee claimants and permanent residents who first came here as refugees and who are now seeking to travel outside of Canada to be with family. In question period, I asked about Ataklti, a permanent resident in my community who applied for a travel document last February to join his wife in Sweden for the birth of their daughter. Ten months later, Ataklti's request has still not been processed and he is yet to even meet his daughter.
There are so many others in similar positions in Kitchener. Naima, for example, was sponsored by a local church in 2019 and came solo to Canada with her three young boys. Her husband is awaiting sponsorship by the same church group. She applied for a travel document for herself and her boys to visit her sick mother in a hospital overseas back in January. In February, the file was marked as urgent, and while Naima got her travel document, her children's applications have not been finalized yet so she cannot visit. For the past three months, Naima has been calling IRCC every two weeks to request updates. Will she ever get to visit her sick mom?
My team and I have been advocating to IRCC for both Ataklti and Naima without success to date. For my team and me this feels unjust. There is a gap between the two standards that exist in Canada. One is for people like me with citizenship. We can travel. I was just in Egypt, for example, for the annual climate negotiations a few weeks ago. However, those who came to Canada as refugees, like Ataklti and Naima, are being denied the same opportunity, even in life-or-death situations, with no timeline and seemingly no accountability.
This lack of a timeline and accountability also extends to other requests made by neighbours of mine to IRCC as we try to bring families back together. I have more examples.
Angeline is in Canada and is attempting to sponsor her husband Pouya to join her. They have been waiting since 2019. Since my office first inquired on their behalf, we have received no updates. Their file has been relegated to so-called non-routine status, which means that normal processing times simply do not apply.
Two other neighbours, Jess and her husband, are waiting to be reunited with their sons, who are now eight and 11 years old. Their applications for permanent residency for their sons were submitted back in 2019. All assessments have passed except for eligibility, which is under further review, so normal processing times do not apply. They have not received an update since 2020.
I know the Government of Canada can solve these issues. One example of this was the improvements made to processing passports, which was a significant concern back in the spring and has since been brought under control. People like Ataklti, Naima, Angeline and Jess and dozens more in my community have a right to travel and to be reunited with their loved ones.
I would like to know what the minister is doing to address systemic issues at Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada—
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