CALGARY—Canada’s immigration minister says he is confident a growing backlog of asylum claims will be addressed as the refugee system undergoes some changes. Just over 64,000 refugee claims — including nearly 35,000 irregular arrivals and those from various other streams — are awaiting a decision from the Immigration and Refugee Board. “I’m very confident that the recommendations that were made in the independent review by Neil Yeates will enable us to move forward.”Article Continued BelowIt recommended changing the way the board operates, including bringing it under the authority of the immigration minister. Article Continued BelowA new asylum management board has also been established to improve co-ordination between departments to speed up processing. Hussen said hiring 248 new employees over the next two years, including 64 new immigration board judges will also help with the backlog which dates back to former prime minister Stephen Harper’s government.

Source: thestar January 04, 2019 21:22 UTC