Redeploying RPD members will quicken family reunification.
Redeploying RPD members to the IAD is more logical than what @RichardKurland and the Canadian Immigration Lawyers Association @CILAvoice recommend. Putting loving couples sponsored by Canadians together are very important but the resources available must be used more wisely. Many loving couples have had their Spousal Sponsorship applications refused and are awaiting the IAD to schedule a full spousal appeal for years.
Richard Kurland is quoted in New Canadian Media https://newcanadianmedia.ca/available-deportation-resources-quicken-family-reunification/ that “the number of refugee claims have crashed by 63 per cent because of COVID-related restrictions,” and he goes on to state “leading to a higher number of “deportation resources.” This comment is supported by the Canadian Immigration Lawyers Association (CILA) and these Lawyers should know better that there is a great need to keep CBSA deportation resources in place.
Since there are 63% fewer asylum seekers due to COVID-19 what are all the members of the Refugee Protection Division (RPD) working at these days?
There is no excuse not to hold virtual full spousal appeals for Asia applicants using RPD members starting at 16:00 ET at the Toronto IAD. When full spousal appeals begin at 16:00 ET in Toronto by the time the Appellants Counsel finishes his Examination in Chief as well the Ministers Counsel and a break occurs it will be 9 a.m. in most Asian countries. Having Asian applicants starting their testimony at 9 a.m. in the morning their time instead of 01:00 hrs. or 2 a.m. as the Toronto IAD holds their appeals now, makes IAD spousal appeals more equitable for the many applicants in Asia.
Richard Kurland is than quoted “Because the resources already planned for deportation are not going to be needed, we can take the risk to let more spouses into Canada early, before their overseas permanent residence process is complete,” What makes these Lawyers think that resources planned for deportations from Canada are not needed?
According to the Auditor General Report on Immigration Removals there are about 50,000 enforceable removal orders that continue to accumulate in the CBSA inventory. Currently CBSA remove about 10,000 individuals every year so their inventory will continue to increase and increase. In the AG findings she states that two thirds or approximately 33 thousand of these removal cases CBSA does not know the whereabouts of these individuals. https://www.oag-bvg.gc.ca/internet/English/parl_oag_202007_01_e_43572.html
With low skilled or cash jobs disappearing due to COVID-19 would “deportation resources” be better utilized then having CBSA Officers just issuing a warrant for NO SHOWS and hoping one day years from now they come to the attention of CBSA. More of these 33 thousand valid removal order individuals are staying home, out of work due to COVID and should be easier to locate and remove.
I believe dealing with the IAD backlog of spousal appeals by redeploying RPD members to work as IAD members in Toronto is a far better way to show compassion for Canadian sponsors.
Roy Kellogg
cvimmigration.com
