C-212 – the Department of Citizenship and Immigration Ombud Act – creates an Ombud to monitor the immigration system and make sure it’s fair.
Jenny sponsored this last Session, but it never got a chance to go up for a vote so here it is again.
The Ombud will be appointed after consultations with the leader of every party in the House and Senate, and with the approval of the House and Senate. The Ombud’s duties will include:
- Reviewing the Department of Immigration and Citizenship’s policies and training procedures to identify equity or fairness problems, including those caused by biases or racism (including systemic racism)
- Investigating complaints about fairness in the immigration system
- Watching for patterns or trends in complaints filed
- Making recommendations on dealing with any unfairness found
The rest of this is pretty standard, covering things like the Ombud’s ability to hire staff, how investigations should be handled, etc. Worth noting that there’s a fine of up to $2,000 for refusing to cooperate with any investigations.
The Ombud will need to create an annual report of any complaints and investigations they’ve handled each year, and C-212 itself will be reviewed every five years.
Progress of C-212
C-212 is currently outside of the Order of Precedence.
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