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In Committee from the House of Commons
Citizenship and Immigration - March 5, 2014
Citizenship and Immigration Minister Chris Alexander presents his department’s supplementary estimates for fiscal year 2013-2014. He outlines the funding for initiatives such as support for immigrants in official language minority communities. The minister is questioned over other initiatives such as settlement programs in British Columbia and Manitoba, additional resources for processing immigration applications, and the new 10-year ePassport. The committee then returns to its study on strengthening the protection of women in Canada’s immigration system. Canadian Council for Refugees representative Heather Neufeld discusses the need to improve an exemption in Canada’s conditional permanent residence regime for sponsored spouses who are victims of abuse. Immigration lawyer Chantal Desloges discusses the gaps and regulatory changes that should be addressed in the spousal sponsorship program. Immigration and refugee lawyer Julie Taub brings to the committee’s attention one category of immigrant women who suffer another form of abuse, which is being sponsors who are duped in a marriage of convenience. (March 5, 2014)