Keep politics out of in-country refugee determination process: UNHCR chief
OTTAWA — With the future of the Immigration and Refugee Board under review, one thing is certain, the head of the United Nations refugee agency said Monday: it needs to remain independent.
“You have a body in this country that is insulated, relatively well insulated, from political pressures,” Filippo Grandi said in an interview. “And I think that’s important, especially at this time of great politicization.”
The board has for months been struggling with a rapidly growing caseload, pushing wait times for hearings from weeks to months.
In June, Immigration Minister Ahmed Hussen ordered a full review of the arms-length tribunal, and that was even before a surge of asylum seekers at the border placed additional pressure on the board’s decision-makers. In August, more than 2,300 claims were filed from border crossers, and a further 5,390 were filed in September.