Over the past few years I have received emails regarding benefits refugees receive at a cost to taxpayers. Moreover, that those benefits have been more generous than those provided to Canadians, especially, seniors.
In the past, it took close to two years to process a refugee claim.
Taxpayers were providing health and dental care as well as social assistance for the two years at a cost of $50,000 per refugee.
The former minister of Citizenship and Immigration, Jason Kenney, streamlined the application process so that a refugee would receive a yes or no in 45 days of their application to immigrate.
Minister Kenney also restricted refugees coming to Canada from democratic countries. Refugees coming from Mexico, Hungary, and other democratic states were stating that they were under persecution and needed asylum. These claims were bogus.
The Government of Canada now has a list of recognized democratic countries and we will not process their citizens as ‘refugees.’ People from these countries need to apply to immigrate to Canada through the proper channels. Bogus asylum claimants only delay legitimate immigration applicants in their effort to jump the queue.
Interestingly, the Federal Court of Appeal reinstated the benefits to refugees contrary to the federal government’s policy change. Our government is defending the interests of Canadian taxpayers as well as the integrity of our refugee system. Our government will appeal this decision. Canada has a generous refugee system but it has been abused by bogus refugee claimants and we will fix this problem.
Another challenge that we have experienced in B.C. are ‘visitor visas’ used by pregnant mothers who stay in Canada until they give birth, leave, and have the taxpayers of Canada foot the hospital bill. Yes, this is happening, and government needs to clamp down on these abusers of our generosity.
This is not mean-spirited; it is just stopping the theft of taxpayer’s money.
When we first took office in 2006 there were close to 800,000 immigration applications on the waitlist. We have worked to prioritize and process these applications in a timely manner. We have also taken to task unscrupulous immigration consultants by increasing fines and charging immigration consultants that defraud immigration applicants.
Our immigration and refugee system should be conducted in line with our Canadian values of transparency and fairness to the immigration applicants, refugees, and Canadian taxpayers.
– Colin Mayes is the member of Parliament for Okanagan-Shuswap.
