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Decentralized Democracy

House Hansard - 304

44th Parl. 1st Sess.
April 29, 2024 11:00AM
Context: House Hansard - 304 - Apr/29/24
Mr. Alexis Brunelle-Duceppe (Lac-Saint-Jean, BQ)
  • Apr/29/24 2:42:12 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, this morning La Presse reported that five families of Indian origin are crammed into a single apartment because of the housing crisis. That is beneath Canada and, unfortunately, it is the norm for thousands of asylum seekers. These people are arriving here and realizing that they do not even have the right to work to support themselves because the federal government is taking two years to give them their work permit. Then they realize that Ottawa is now taking 38 months to process asylum claims. How many more families will have to endure these inhumane conditions before the federal government addresses these backlogs?
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Context: House Hansard - 304 - Apr/29/24
Hon. Marc Miller (Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship, Lib.)
  • Apr/29/24 2:42:53 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, first I will address the mistake the member made. He said it takes two years to get a work permit. It actually takes three months. Clearly, we can do more, but we need to be factual in the House of Commons. If I am hearing the member correctly, I understand that he is going to support our budget, which puts billions of dollars on the table for the provinces, for housing in particular. As for asylum seekers and how we should be welcoming them as a country, I think we can do better, but Quebec and Canada will need to work together.
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Context: House Hansard - 304 - Apr/29/24
Mr. Alexis Brunelle-Duceppe (Lac-Saint-Jean, BQ)
  • Apr/29/24 2:43:27 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, I think that maybe three months is all in his head. We are talking about the same families that are lining up at the overrun food banks in Parc-Extension and elsewhere. These families are enduring years of hardship because federal government delays are preventing them from working and from focusing on their asylum claims. I want to quote what Frantz André from the Comité d'action des personnes sans statut had to say about these people. He said, “They live in a constant state of anxiety, which creates mental health problems. They want an answer as quickly as possible, even if it is negative.” Is it possible to have a little more humanity and fewer bureaucratic delays?
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