CIMM – Ombudsperson Office – October 24, 2023

Key Facts and Figures

• The establishment of an Ombudsperson Office to respond to employee concerns is planned by 2024.

Key Messages

• IRCC continues the ongoing commitment to fight racism and foster a culture of inclusion, openness and respect.
• The Department is making real and lasting changes to ensure that systemic inequities and disparities are eliminated from its operations, policies, programs and people management practices. Over the last two years, significant initiatives were launched in the context of the Departmental Anti-Racism Strategy 2.0.
• The establishment of an Ombudsperson Office is planned as part of a new Equity Branch to be created by 2024. The Ombudsperson’s Office will provide IRCC employees the ability to report incidents of racism and discrimination to an impartial office.

Supplementary Information

• The CIMM published three reports between May 2021 and November 2022, following studies on IRCC operations, decision-making and client outcomes. All three included recommendations for IRCC to create an independent Ombudsperson Office to provide greater oversight of operations and policies, as well as address complaints related to racism within the department and in client interactions.
• In response, IRCC committed to conducting a feasibility study. The results of that study will be presented to IRCC's senior executives this fall.