PACP - Immigration, refugees and citizenship Canada detailed action plan - Nov 24, 2020

For recommendation 3 of the OAG Audit of Immigration Removals Spring 2020 Reports of the Auditor General of Canada

Report Ref. No. Para. 46

OAG Recommendation

Recommendation 3

The Canada Border Services Agency should improve the integrity of its data and case management practices so that it can better manage its removals program. Specifically, it should:

• Further check the accuracy of its removal inventory database, with respect to both the status of individual cases and the make-up of its inventory.
• Establish a clear triage process to assign and initiate action on removal cases according to current status and expected next steps and ensure that cases progress toward removal as soon as possible.
• Improve its data interface with its partners to know when decisions have been made that affect the status of removal order.
• In conjunction with Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada, establish a process to ensure that any new information entering the database is accurate and timely ^{Footnote 1}

Departmental Response

IRCC Management Response (February 11, 2020):

Agreed. Where Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada is implicated, it is committed to working with the CBSA to ensure accurate and timely data entry, including by the Department of Justice, to assist the agency in managing its removal programs as well as to deliver on IRCC’s program integrity and quality assurance objectives.

We are doing this by building on the monitoring, oversight, and compliance regime that was developed and implemented in response to the Processing of Asylum Claims report of the Auditor General of Canada published in May 2019, focused on asylum and related enforcement processes.

This monitoring regime was launched in September 2019 and has been identifying delayed or improper data entry to IRCC and CBSA field operations managers for corrective action on a monthly basis. Since November 2019, the related monthly asylum monitoring report now also includes a section on incomplete removal orders to ensure that any issues, including the one identified in this report, are addressed by the appropriate organization. In addition, we are committed to developing and implementing an oversight mechanism to monitor litigation data entry, including by the Department of Justice. This will ensure that data entry is timely and that accurate information is available in the removal inventory.

Description of final expected outcome/result

3.4.a – Immigration Program Guidance Branch

IRCC and CBSA will continue to monitor and provide oversight of refugee intake, to ensure compliance with established protocols for refugee intake data elements, including with regards to removal orders issued to claimants at refugee intake.

3.4.b – Litigation Management /Legal Implementation of an IRCC oversight mechanism to ensure timely data entry of Federal Court decisions by Department of Justice officials.

Expected Final Completion Date

3.4.a – Immigration Program Guidance Branch

December 31, 2020

3.4.b – Litigation Management /Legal September 30, 2021

Key Interim Milestones ^{Footnote 2} (Description/Dates)

3.4.a – Immigration Program Guidance Branch

3.4.a-1) CBSA and IRCC will continue to work together on the quality assurance reports which will be run on an ongoing basis for the purpose of maintaining the monitoring, oversight, and compliance regime in response to the 2019 OAG Audit of Processing of  Asylum Claims and the OAG 2020 Audit of Immigration Removals. A summary of the findings will be presented to the inter-departmental Deputy-level Asylum System Management Board. 

December 31, 2020

3.4.b  – Litigation Management /Legal

3.4.b -1) IRCC, in consultation with CBSA and Department of Justice, will develop a reporting and oversight mechanism to ensure litigation data entry by  Department of Justice officials is completed in a timely manner.

September 30, 2020

3.4.b – 2) IRCC, in consultation with CBSA and Department of Justice, will implement the reporting and oversight mechanism to ensure timely data entry.

September 30, 2021

Responsible Organization/ Point of Contact

(Name, Position, Tel #)

3.4.a&b IRCC Dr. Nicole Giles, Associate Assistant Deputy Minister, Operations, 613-437-8211