Maple News reports that prominent members of Canada’s political opposition are calling for swift action to resolve ongoing challenges within the country’s immigration system. In public letters addressed to Immigration Minister Sean Fraser, MPs Jasraj Singh Hallan (Conservative Party) and Jenny Kwan (New Democratic Party) raised a series of concerns and proposed solutions aimed at improving the operations of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC).
As shadow ministers for immigration, both Hallan and Kwan serve as watchdogs over government policies and contribute to the Standing Committee on Immigration and Citizenship. This important multi-party body is responsible for reviewing IRCC’s performance, conducting studies, and making policy recommendations to strengthen Canada’s immigration framework.
In a detailed four-page letter, Kwan outlined growing frustration over processing delays and backlogs, some of which date back to the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. She noted that while promises were made to modernize IRCC’s systems, the timeline for full implementation could extend up to five more years. In the meantime, these operational delays are separating families, slowing economic immigration, and compounding labor shortages across key industries.
Kwan pointed out significant disparities in processing times—some applicants who submitted their papers years ago remain stuck in limbo, while newer applicants are being processed faster. She also emphasized that redeploying IRCC resources to meet the 2021 immigration targets through the Temporary to Permanent Residence (TR to PR) pathway has worsened wait times for others, a situation that could take years to resolve.
The MP is now demanding greater transparency from IRCC, including detailed updates on pending backlogs and clearer timelines for returning to normal operations. She also called on Minister Fraser to implement key recommendations from a parliamentary study on COVID-19’s impact on immigration, including the creation of an independent ombudsman to oversee IRCC’s policies and ensure accountability.
Among other recommendations, Kwan proposed automatically renewing documents for Confirmation of Permanent Residence (COPR) holders whose travel plans were derailed by the pandemic. She argued that such a change would ease administrative burdens and speed up IRCC’s overall processing capacity.
In addition, Kwan urged the federal government to create more permanent residency pathways for temporary residents and to consider regularizing status for undocumented migrants already contributing to the Canadian workforce. She stressed that these measures would not only align with humanitarian values but also support the country’s long-term immigration and labor market goals.
As Canada continues to rely on immigration to drive recovery and growth, Maple News will monitor how these recommendations influence the government’s next steps in reforming Canada’s immigration system.