Syrian refugee backlog blamed on federal government cuts

Federal government job cuts have increased problems withbringing Syrians refugees to Canada, say advocates trying to help those refugeesre-settle.

Evidence points to a bureaucratic backlog of files inside Citizenship and Immigration Canada, as an internal government report produced late last yearblames the backlog ontoo few staff in the departments centralized office in Winnipeg.Thatoffice processes privately sponsored refugee claims.

• Read the complete internal report at bottom of story.

The report states the backlogs are at "an unprecedented high"and warns it could take several years to catch up.

PeterShowler, a professor at the University of Ottawa and former chairman of Canada's immigration and refugee board, called the long processing times inexcusable.

Showlerspent time last spring working for the UNHCR (United Nations High Commission for Refugees) in Lebanon and he saidthe delays causedhuman suffering and misery.

"There's no way of knowing whether it's ministerial policy or gross inefficiency. In either way, the delays are beyond belief," Showler said.

Feds promisedto bring over 1,300 Syrian refugees

The Canadian government announced last year it would bring 1,300 Syrian refugees into Canada. The majority of refugees are sponsored by private groups, mostly churches, but to dateonly a couple hundred refugees have actually arrived.

In comparison, Swedenhas taken in 30,000 Syrians with a population that is about one quarterof Canada's.

The authors of the internal CICreport recommend the government hire more permanent staff, as well as hire some temporary workers to conduct a "blitz"to clear the backlog.

"Improvements to process accountability and processing efficiency cannot be realized without having a sufficient number of dedicated staff in place to handle core functions and to eliminate the backlog that has developed over time," the report reads.

'Damning report,' expert says

"Its a damning report. It doesnt beat around the bush,"said Janet Dench, executive director of the Canadian Council forRefugees.

"There have been a lot of cuts in Citizenship and Immigration Canada, notably theyve closed offices across Canada Its quite clear that things have not been going well."

Departmental officials wont say if more staff have been hired since the report was released late last year. But they said efforts are being made to speed up the process.

"Processing is done according to priority, with Syrian files currently identified as a priority," according to a statement from a CIC spokesperson.

That concerns people likeShowler, though,who wonder about other non-Syrian refugees currently in the queue.

"That means someone who was supposed to come from Thailand, Burma, Africa that means they're being delayed even further," he said.

Showler said in the past, Canada has acted much faster to help refugees escape to safety.

"We did it for Yugoslavia. We brought in 5,000 and we did it within one year we know how to do this. This is an issue of political will," he added.

'We have brought over 1,500 Syrians to Canada,' minister says

On Mondayin the House of Commons, NDP MP Andrew Cash cited the staffing cuts inside Citizenship and Immigration Canada and asked the minister in charge if he'd keep his 2013 promise tobring Syrian refugees to Canada now.

The Minister of Citizenship and Immigration, Chris Alexander, replied, "We have brought over 1,500 Syrians to Canada."

But refugee advocacy groups say Alexander is mixing up his numbers. They say that number includes Syrians who resettled prior to 2013, some of whom were already in Canada when they were granted refugee status.

"The real question is this," Alexander went on to say. "What is the NDP going to do for the millions more people who cannot be resettled and for the millions more people who are still displaced inside IraqOne of the solutions is targeted military action Why will the New Democrats not even consider it?"