North Island-Powell River MP Rachel Blaney has written to Sean Fraser, minister of immigration, refugees and citizenship to raise ongoing concerns and frustrations from her constituents and office about extreme delays in processing visa and permanent residency applications since the beginning of the pandemic.
“This backlog needs to be addressed immediately as processing delays in all immigration streams are causing severe consequences in many peoples’ lives,” wrote Blaney in her letter to the minister.
In a media release, Blaney outlined that delays, well past the prescribed timeline for various application types, are resulting in lost employment and education opportunities, staffing challenges for small businesses, prolonged family separation during crucial moments such as the birth of children, and significant anxiety and financial hardship.
“In all my time dealing with immigration issues, I have never seen delays like what we’re seeing now,” stated Blaney, who served as executive director for the immigrant welcome centre prior to being elected as MP in 2015.
The letter calls for the minister and government to make the necessary resources available immediately in order to relieve the backlog that is impacting the lives of so many residents in the region and across the country, the release stated.
