Refugee Board: Canadian Press and Press Conference

refugee board: Immigration Minister Ahmed Hussen arrives at a press conference in Ottawa, according to Huffington Post Canada. Photo The Canadian Press But those advocating for the government to do something before backlogs threaten the integrity of the system say they are running up against a Liberal government seeming to have lost interest in spending any more money or political capital to help asylum seekers. One of the options on the table, multiple sources have told The Canadian Press, is rejigging the historic Immigration and Refugee Board, and giving some of its authority over to the Immigration Department itself. The starting point is the designated country of origins system, which determines how fast asylum claims are heard based on where they are from a system that should, in theory, help weed out unfounded claims faster. Elements of the program have already been struck down by the Federal Court. Internal evaluations have shown that hasn't quite worked, and the system has drawn the ire of refugee advocates for creating a two-tier approach that includes unworkable timelines for hearing cases and their appeals. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.