441-02466 (Citizenship and immigration)

WHEREAS:

• In light of the implementation of the National Security Law in Hong Kong, the Government of Canada has provided measures to assist Hong Kong residents in coming to Canada;
• The Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) has established two permanent residency pathways (Stream A & Stream B) under a temporary public policy, effective from 2021;
• As of January 2024, over 15,500 permanent residency applications have been received for the Hong Kong Pathway, with approximately 7,500 granted, leaving over 8,000 applications in backlog, and the numbers continue to rise;
• The backlog is primarily attributed to insufficient admission targets;
• Due to the shortage of admission targets, the processing time has exceeded the stipulated 6.5 months, with some applicants waiting for up to a year; and
• The backlog has resulted in children being unable to attend school, job loss, financial strain, loss of status and public health coverage, and the need for repatriation to Hong Kong.

We, the undersigned citizens and residents of Canada, call upon the Minister of Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship to:

• Acknowledge the humanitarian crisis that has occurred, as every child deserves access to education;
• Adhere to and uphold the priority processing guidelines as outlined;
• Create a mechanism to issue minor study permits to children, ensuring their well-being is safeguarded;
• Create a mechanism to grant all Hong Kong Pathway applicants an IWA or BOWP to maintain their legal status in Canada until the approval of their permanent residencies; and
• Allocate additional admission targets to the Hong Kong Pathway to effectively address the backlog.