OTTAWA — Canada’s border-security minister says there is a backlog in the screening of asylum seekers, including those who are considered irregular border-crossers walking into the country from the United States.
The Toronto Star reported Tuesday that internal government documents, obtained by lawyer Richard Kurland under the access-to-information law, show 11,745 asylum-seekers are waiting for detailed security screenings.
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The documents helped light a political fire in the afternoon’s question period in the House of Commons.
Border Security Minister Bill Blair says officials screen all asylum-seekers at the border and that there is no security problem.
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He says there is a backlog in additional background checks involving the Mounties and Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada, but isn’t saying how many people are in the queue.
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Conservative immigration critic Michelle Rempel is questioning how Blair can say there are no security threats if screening hasn’t been completed for those stuck in the backlog.