ATIP News

  OTTAWA, ON, May 26, 2021 /CNW/ - Openness, transparency and accountability are guiding principles of the Government of Canada. Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) is incorporating these principles as we improve and modernize our systems, processes and digital infrastructure to better serve our clients. IRCC takes its responsibilities and obligations under the Access to Information Act and Privacy Act very seriously. The annual number of access to information and privacy (ATIP) requests made to IRCC has increased dramatically in recent years, going from 63,333 in 2016–2017 to 132,891 in 2019–2020. IRCC now receives more requests than all other federal institutions combined, the majority of which are linked to individual case files. In the interest of openness and transparency, IRCC is adapting to these recent increases and providing an overall improved ATIP client experience by enhancing readily accessible information, offering faster response times and streamlined sys

Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship Canada used an internal policy between 2019 and March 2021 to take longer than the required 30 days to respond every time that five frequent requesters filed, says Caroline Maynard. Read more at  https://www.hilltimes.com/story/2021/05/25/irccs-automatic-extension-policy-to-delay-responses-to-frequent-requesters-against-the-act-says-information-czar/229362/

 OTTAWA -- The federal information watchdog says the Immigration Department needs to provide easier access to information for immigration applicants seeking more than a bare-bones outline of their files. In a new report today, information commissioner Caroline Maynard is calling for readier transparency as aspiring Canadians frequently have to resort to requests under the Access to Information Act. Maynard says the recurring complaint to her office revolves around a lack of available information on details such as application status or the reasoning behind decisions, which can be hard to obtain through the department's online account portal. The report says the Immigration Department received about 117,000 access-to-information requests in 2019-20 -- nearly three times more than all other federal institutions combined -- and became the target of the highest number of complaints to the information commissioner's office. Maynard is calling on Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship

 The Information Commissioner of Canada’s special report, Access at Issue: Challenging the Status Quo, was tabled on  May 25, 2021 in Parliament. The report details the results of her investigation into systemic issues affecting Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada’s (IRCC) handling of access to information requests.  Read more at  https://www.oic-ci.gc.ca/en/resources/news-releases/information-commissioner-urges-immigration-refugees-and-citizenship-canada