The Immigration and Refugee Board is clearing about 160 claims per month using an expedited process that eliminates the need for hearings in straightforward refugee claims for people from seven countries.
It's a "win-win situation" – for the IRB, which is already facing a backlog of refugee claims as a result of the flood of asylum seekers walking over the border this year – and for the people filing those claims, says Winnipeg lawyer Alastair Clarke.
"For the claimant, they essentially get two kicks at the can and they potentially have an early positive decision. Secondly, for the tribunal, because they save resources. They don't have to have a hearing, they don't have to expend additional time to hear oral evidence, and they can review a case based only on the documents," Clarke said.
"Our job is to do our best to make sure all the potential issues are dealt with in the supporting documents. And once it gets to an adjudicator, it's up to him or her to decide whether or not what we've submitted is sufficient to meet the test."
Refugee claimants from Afghanistan, Burundi, Egypt, Yemen, Syria, Iraq and Eritrea are eligible to apply for this
expedited process.
They still have to go through security screening conducted by the Canada Border Services Agency in partnership with the Canadian Security Intelligence Service, and the IRB can decide the supporting documents are not sufficient and can still order a hearing and personal appearance.
Between June and September, more than 630 cases were finalized
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'Win-win situation': Expedited refugee claim process clears cases without hearings - Manitoba - CBC News