CIC staff temporarily reassigned for refugee processing (May 9th to June 20th)

[CofRed]

I think none of us is against the refugees, personally I am grateful to what Canada offers and I wish I could help. I am not asking to stop bringing the refugees here but....It sounds weird but the only thing we want is to be treated like those refugees....I means who doesn't want his application be finalized under 3 months?

In some cases, refugees are treated better than Citizens. Paid living, Job Support, Free education. I am not against refugees at all and I think it is brilliant. But when it comes to us as tax payers, we have to wait for years before we are reunited with our spouses. It might sound selfish, but why is my marriage and spouse devalued over those refugees?

At this point, I just want to know what options do we have to make our voices heard. Should I go to my Local MPs office and file a complaint or bring this to his attention?

 

[flx2015]

I'm curious why you think you have a right to set CIC's staffing priorities? I never hear people complaining about the relative weight of the experience class, the family class, or the other various departments -- why does it always come up with refugees?

have you read the notice i linked in my original post? i'm guessing you haven't. see the excerpt below.

"We know refugees and sponsors are disappointed that expedited processing for Syrians could not continue indefinitely but Canada’s ongoing response to the global refugee crisis must be done in a sustainable way."

reallocating resources to expedite one particular PR class while neglecting all other classes is not what i would call sustainable, and CIC has come to the same realization.

At this point, I just want to know what options do we have to make our voices heard. Should I go to my Local MPs office and file a complaint or bring this to his attention?

yes. my father helped our local MP in his campaign, so he's meeting us for dinner in 1-2 weeks. my plan is to assault him with my charts n spreadsheets as soon as the dinner is over, hopefully helping him realize that mccallum's refugee resettlement program actually has had a big impact on many of us waiting to be reunited with our spouses.

 

[gabba50]

have you read the notice i linked in my original post? i'm guessing you haven't. see the excerpt below.

"We know refugees and sponsors are disappointed that expedited processing for Syrians could not continue indefinitely but Canada’s ongoing response to the global refugee crisis must be done in a sustainable way."

reallocating resources to expedite one particular PR class while neglecting all other classes is not what i would call sustainable, and CIC has come to the same realization.

yes. my father helped our local MP in his campaign, so he's meeting us for dinner in 1-2 weeks. my plan is to assault him with my charts n spreadsheets as soon as the dinner is over, hopefully helping him realize that mccallum's refugee resettlement program actually has had a big impact on many of us waiting to be reunited with our spouses.

Thank you for trying but you don't have to assault him, he will simply remind you the speech of March 8th and June 13th notice. Both of those notices followed a successful deployment of officers from local VO. Of course he will show you the numbers and more numbers to reach, of course there has been a huge change to get those numbers but on one side. Ask him how comes it takes takes 3 months or less to get DM from one VO and an other VO it takes 3 months or more to only get AOR of requested documents!!!

 

[nope]

The refugees that have come to Canada are not coming from camps...their lives are not in danger...the have been living well in other countries...the idea the press has shown is that these are desperate people...on the verg of being killed and its not the truth...they are part of the 410K waiting...Because there is political gain these people got to jump the que...there are refugees that truly are in situation , like the people from Sri Lanka, the Tamil refugees...

Oh, hogwash. First of all, there is no 'queue' -- that is garbage. These people are living in desperate, dangerous, unstable conditions. They have families and children -- some of them die trying to cross into Europe. Canada has been one of the very few countries in the world to admit them; hastening their processing is a good thing to do, good for them, good for their families and children, good for Canada. What is it about the family applicants that makes them feel it is somehow becoming to slag this? I don't see express entry people, or Canada experience class people, or provincial nominees, complaining that refugees are coming to Canada.

I really am disgusted that you -- who are either an immigrant or have family who want to immigrate -- are repeating this propaganda that is typical of xenophobes worldwide. You should be ashamed.

 

[nope]

In some cases, refugees are treated better than Citizens. Paid living, Job Support, Free education. I am not against refugees at all and I think it is brilliant. But when it comes to us as tax payers, we have to wait for years before we are reunited with our spouses. It might sound selfish, but why is my marriage and spouse devalued over those refugees?

At this point, I just want to know what options do we have to make our voices heard. Should I go to my Local MPs office and file a complaint or bring this to his attention?

Plenty of Canadian citizens get those benefits as well. The reason the refugees get them is that they are an invaluable aid in becoming settled here in Canada, let people have time and resources for integrating, and prevent them from becoming a future drain.

The reason your marriage and spouse are not prioritized at the same level of refugees is this -- most people find it obvious -- the refugees are living in desperate situations, they suffer from physical and mental trauma, they are insecure and at great risk. Why do you believe your family abroad, which is presumably safe, should get priority over immigrants who are not safe?

If being with your spouse is such a high priority, why don't you go live with your spouse abroad? If you don't prioritize your marriage, why should the Canadian government?

 

[flx2015]

hey settle down guys

 

[CDNPR2014]

Plenty of Canadian citizens get those benefits as well. The reason the refugees get them is that they are an invaluable aid in becoming settled here in Canada, let people have time and resources for integrating, and prevent them from becoming a future drain.

EXACTLY!!!!

In some cases, refugees are treated better than Citizens. Paid living, Job Support, Free education. I am not against refugees at all and I think it is brilliant. But when it comes to us as tax payers, we have to wait for years before we are reunited with our spouses. It might sound selfish, but why is my marriage and spouse devalued over those refugees?

At this point, I just want to know what options do we have to make our voices heard. Should I go to my Local MPs office and file a complaint or bring this to his attention?

My husband works for our city's public housing system. and you know what he's noticed after 15 years? He's noticed the people who are more grateful and try hard to get out of the system are the children of immigrants and refugees, and the families that stay in public housing for generations are the Canadian born families. Immigrants and refugees are more likely to work hard and be appreciative of the help the govn't provides them. Canadian born families just stay in the system, continue to have babies to get more money, and complain about every little thing that goes wrong - mostly due to their own lack of responsibility. So if you want to b**ch and complain about tax dollars, why not b**ch and complain about the canadian born families that just suck welfare and public services dry, just so they don't have to find a job and be a productive member of society? At least the refugees WANT to make a difference and add value to the community.

just because Canada has prioritized refugees because of a recent crisis, doesn't mean they care less about their own citizens. No government has a perfect system. That is the reality of the world. if it's taking too long to get your spouse to canada, then go live with them in their country and be with them there while you wait. if you're also a pr and that's not possible, then keep faith and find ways to be together as much as possible. no one has an "easy" process, even the people who have quick processes. we don't know the circumstances of each other's journey, so why is it ok to assume we are more important than those ripped from war torn countries? no one is more important than anyone else. we are all humans trying to navigate this place we live in called earth.

*smh* *end rant*

 

[TANMEX]

EXACTLY!!!!

My husband works for our city's public housing system. and you know what he's noticed after 15 years? He's noticed the people who are more grateful and try hard to get out of the system are the children of immigrants and refugees, and the families that stay in public housing for generations are the Canadian born families. Immigrants and refugees are more likely to work hard and be appreciative of the help the govn't provides them. Canadian born families just stay in the system, continue to have babies to get more money, and complain about every little thing that goes wrong - mostly due to their own lack of responsibility. So if you want to b**ch and complain about tax dollars, why not b**ch and complain about the canadian born families that just suck welfare and public services dry, just so they don't have to find a job and be a productive member of society? At least the refugees WANT to make a difference and add value to the community.

just because Canada has prioritized refugees because of a recent crisis, doesn't mean they care less about their own citizens. No government has a perfect system. That is the reality of the world. if it's taking too long to get your spouse to canada, then go live with them in their country and be with them there.

*smh* *end rant*

Well said !
Sometimes one needed to have a heart to feel the refugees situation .

 

[Sunset0505]

Well said !
Sometimes one needed to have a heart to feel the refugees situation .

But what about all the other refugees that are seriously in danger, in camps, waiting to get here?..that is what makes me angry..the media and the politicians have no gain by pushing the the line for people that are really in dire need..http://www.thehindu.com/news/international/indonesia-lets-aid-groups-assist-stranded-sri-lankan-tamil-refugees/article8756593.ece...this is just an example....

 

[nmclean]

Flx, where did you find that anyone was reassigned from other VOs? In the notice I only see "additional dedicated staff joined..."

Oh, hogwash. First of all, there is no 'queue' -- that is garbage. These people are living in desperate, dangerous, unstable conditions. They have families and children -- some of them die trying to cross into Europe. Canada has been one of the very few countries in the world to admit them; hastening their processing is a good thing to do, good for them, good for their families and children, good for Canada. What is it about the family applicants that makes them feel it is somehow becoming to slag this? I don't see express entry people, or Canada experience class people, or provincial nominees, complaining that refugees are coming to Canada.

I really am disgusted that you -- who are either an immigrant or have family who want to immigrate -- are repeating this propaganda that is typical of xenophobes worldwide. You should be ashamed.

Wow, tone it down a bit. Regarding people who are desperate, you will find no disagreement. Sunset's statements were based on the belief that many of these people are not living in such conditions, but they are being lumped into the same category to increase stats. She mentioned her belief was informed by facts discovered by reading refugee interviews. Rather than sitting there muttering "hogwash, garbage", perhaps you should enlighten us by sharing some facts of your own showing that this problem doesn't exist, assuming you have any.

As for why you hear more complaints from family class applicants, I think it's a matter of honesty. FC has been told they were a priority year after year only to watch resources steadily decrease and wait times steadily increase while hearing excuses that background checks are time consuming. Perhaps if that had not been the case, people would be more accepting of the government's sudden apparent ability and willingness to process complex cases in record time. It suggests that either FC never really was that important, or that the refugee crisis is not being handled with enough care, neither of which is appealing.

In reality, neither family or refugees (in general, not Syrians) are prioritized, and they should be - at least higher than temporary workers, which is where the resources have really gone. Refugees and spouses of Canadians are both highly likely to remain in the country permanently, contribute, and be part of the community.

 

[nmclean]

In some cases, refugees are treated better than Citizens. Paid living, Job Support, Free education. I am not against refugees at all and I think it is brilliant. But when it comes to us as tax payers, we have to wait for years before we are reunited with our spouses. It might sound selfish, but why is my marriage and spouse devalued over those refugees?

Okay, that's a bit of a stretch. Here's what refugees get for free:

Liberals' waiving of travel costs for Syrian refugees created 2-tier system

Health care for refugees from Syria–About the Interim Federal Health Program

The first one covers the travel and medical costs of becoming refugees - an expense that doesn't even apply to citizens - and the second one expires after one year. The Syrians are an exception. Normally refugees need to repay their own travel and medical costs within a few years. Now when you consider that the unemployment rate of recent refugees is double the national average, and that they are on their own after the first year, would you still say they have it easier than citizens?

See also: Do government-assisted refugees receive more money for food than Canadians on welfare?

 

[CofRed]

Plenty of Canadian citizens get those benefits as well. The reason the refugees get them is that they are an invaluable aid in becoming settled here in Canada, let people have time and resources for integrating, and prevent them from becoming a future drain.

The reason your marriage and spouse are not prioritized at the same level of refugees is this -- most people find it obvious -- the refugees are living in desperate situations, they suffer from physical and mental trauma, they are insecure and at great risk. Why do you believe your family abroad, which is presumably safe, should get priority over immigrants who are not safe?

If being with your spouse is such a high priority, why don't you go live with your spouse abroad? If you don't prioritize your marriage, why should the Canadian government?

You brought up an interesting point, safety. Where my spouse lives, is a lot unsafe than lets say Australia or some European countries. How come more resources are not allocated to "unsafe" countries to do faster background checks and to get the spouses out faster? Yet we have people from the comfort of their couch, complaining that they received their COPR too soon.

And lastly, thanks for your suggestion, as this is exactly what I will do "prioritize my marriage". The whole point of raising our voices is because of my marriage. If it wasn't for it, I wouldn't be here in the first place.

P.S. This is a public forum, just dial it down a notch.

 

[nope]

You brought up an interesting point, safety. Where my spouse lives, is a lot unsafe than lets say Australia or some European countries. How come more resources are not allocated to "unsafe" countries to do faster background checks and to get the spouses out faster? Yet we have people from the comfort of their couch, complaining that they received their COPR too soon.

And lastly, thanks for your suggestion, as this is exactly what I will do "prioritize my marriage". The whole point of raising our voices is because of my marriage. If it wasn't for it, I wouldn't be here in the first place.

P.S. This is a public forum, just dial it down a notch.

You're right, I apologize, and I wish I hadn't commented on your personal choices -- I regretted the tone of this post when I woke up this morning. I'll be more careful to not get worked up.

 

[Sunset0505]

Oh, hogwash. First of all, there is no 'queue' -- that is garbage. These people are living in desperate, dangerous, unstable conditions. They have families and children -- some of them die trying to cross into Europe. Canada has been one of the very few countries in the world to admit them; hastening their processing is a good thing to do, good for them, good for their families and children, good for Canada. What is it about the family applicants that makes them feel it is somehow becoming to slag this? I don't see express entry people, or Canada experience class people, or provincial nominees, complaining that refugees are coming to Canada.

I really am disgusted that you -- who are either an immigrant or have family who want to immigrate -- are repeating this propaganda that is typical of xenophobes worldwide. You should be ashamed.

Nope you need to have a read, really...I do not have a problem with refugees coming to Canada in fact my Grandfather was a Danish Jew that left Denmark when Hitler starting forcing jews to wear arm bands..Once my Grandfather became Canadian he joined the army and fought in world war 2 for all six years,...I started to question how the Canadian Government could possible check all these people in the same way they are been checking our family members ( as indicated in speeches and by the press )and insure Canadians of our safety...this is when I started reading and reading...most of the 25K that came to Canada have not been living in Camps...some have been sponsored by their Canadian families and have been in the CIC system in some cases for 8 plus years...their families have paid thousands for them to be here just like you and me...It looks like the took the people that were on the edge of being approved any way and it was made to look like Canadian Government is leading the world in accepting the refugees....There are 410K waiting to get into Canada legally...a lot of refugees are in Camps, waiting but its not to the advantage of the Canadian government nor the media to assist these people and if they do survive it will be years before they can get here...If these people were in camps #1 there would be testing for TB,,,if there is a positive skin test, more tests are needed and if positive treatment can take unto 9 months...its impossible for 25k in camps to not have one person with a positive TB skin test is almost impossible plus it can take up to 18 weeks to show up if there is one person...what was in the press di not make any sense.....I am not saying there should not come to Canada in fact bring them on, I am from Vancouver and LOVE the diversity of this city, and living the in USA for the past 11 plus years I feel like I am back to reality being on the best coast!..

 

[nope]

I think I should qualify my intemperate remarks . . . Obviously, I'm in favour of letting in refugees -- and I've become disgusted over my perception, which may not necessarily be reality, that there is a substantial contingent of people in the world who don't want them in their countries (e.g. USA, Australia, Britain), but tend to make procedural arguments. "I'm perfectly fine with refugees, really, but I don't want these refugees. They've jumped the queue." Or, they aren't really in danger, they should have stayed in Turkey for 3 years and been processed in order, there are too many men I've seen the videos, etc. etc.

For myself, even if these are true (and I don't grant they are), they don't outweigh the fact that many people are in terrible, desperate circumstances right now. The world needs a unified, principled approach to helping them. If that exists, then I will listen to procedural complaints -- but without it I am not so interested. I'm proud of Canada's refugee policy, and even if it is half photo-op, even if it is a procedural mess, it is still one of the best in the world. What is needed is for more countries to accept the spirit of this -- many people, settled quickly -- and not be pushing in the other direction.

As for everyone who is upset at the slowness of the family processing, I apologize. This thread has reminded me of when I and my wife were living in Thailand with our young son, waiting for our FSW application to be processed and feeling quite stuck that it could potentially take years. I remember now how that felt, and I don't blame you for your frustration at the perception that CIC has moved resources away from you.