The Conservative government learned nothing from the consequences of its rash decision to close the immigration office in Buffalo, which led to the transfer thousands of applications to Ottawa resulting in long delays.
Just this week, the NDP called on the government to speed up the processing of applications from Buffalo and learned the same day that the government had pushed ahead and closed two more offices, in Detroit and Seattle.
“The Conservative government must reverse its decision. The Buffalo applicants are already facing long delays. Some have been waiting for two to three years and still haven’t heard from the department. Not to mention the psychological and financial stress these people are facing. We want to prevent this scenario from repeating itself in Detroit and Seattle,” said NDP Immigration Critic Jinny Sims.”
These closures will lead to the transfer of thousands of files to other offices. The government must come up with a plan and provide these offices with additional resources so that all applications may be processed within a reasonable timeframe.
“This decision is another example of mismanagement on the part of the immigration department. The minister must reveal his plan to applicants who are waiting and uncertain so we do not see the chaos from the Buffalo closure repeated,” added deputy critic Sadia Groguhé.
