About

43rd Parliament, 2nd Session (September 23, 2020 - August 15, 2021) Current Session
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The Standing Committee on Citizenship and Immigration (the committee) examines orders of reference that the House of Commons refers to it. Orders of reference may relate to bills, proposed regulations specified in Section 5 of the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act, and in Section 27.1 of the Citizenship Act, Estimates or Order in Council Appointments. The Committee may also study issues of its own choosing.

Pursuant to Standing Order 108(1) of the House of Commons, the committee has the same powers as other House of Commons Standing Committees, including the powers to make reports and to send for persons, papers and records.

Citizenship and Immigration Canada and the Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada

In addition, the Committee studies and reports on all matters relating to the mandate, management and operation of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) and the Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada (IRB). Such matters include:

  • the statute law relating to IRCC and/or IRB;
  • the program and policy objectives of IRCC and/or IRB, and their effectiveness in implementing their objectives;
  • the immediate, medium and long-term expenditure plans of IRCC and/or IRB, as well as their effectiveness in implementing their expenditure plans;
  • analysis of the relative success of IRCC and/or IRB, as measured by the results obtained as compared with its stated objectives; and
  • other matters, relating to the mandate, management, organization or operation of IRCC and/or IRB, as the Committee deems fit.

In July 2013, responsibility for certain areas of Passport Canada’s activities were transferred from the Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade to Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada. The committee has been empowered to undertake studies on these matters since that date.

Federal Multiculturalism Policy

Standing Order 108(3)(b) of the House of Commons mandates the committee to monitor implementation of the principles of the federal multiculturalism policy throughout the Government of Canada. However, implementation of the Canadian Multiculturalism Act, which had been the responsibility of the Minister of Citizenship and Immigration since 2008, was moved to the Minister of Canadian Heritage in 2015. Since then, the Standing Committee on Canadian Heritage has examined issues related to the federal multiculturalism policy.