(Disponible uniquement en anglais)
Via email: Minister@cic.gc.ca
The Honourable Rachel Bendayan, P.C. M.P.
Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship
House of Commons
Ottawa, ON K1A 0A6
Dear Minister Bendayan,
On behalf of the Immigration Law Section of the Canadian Bar Association (CBA Section), we congratulate you on your appointment as Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship. The CBA Section has collaborated with your predecessors and looks forward to continuing a constructive working relationship with your department. We welcome the opportunity to meet with you at your earliest convenience to continue the dialogue and help find creative solutions to the challenges in Canada’s immigration system.
The CBA is a national association representing 40,000 members, including lawyers, judges, notaries, academics and law students, with a 120-year-old mandate to seek improvements in the law and the administration of justice. The CBA Section is comprised of over 1000 lawyers, practicing in all aspects of immigration, refugee and citizenship law and rendering professional advice and representation in the Canadian immigration system to clients in Canada and abroad.
A predictable, law-based immigration system is key to ensuring Canada meets its economic and humanitarian objectives while maintaining public confidence. The CBA Section has long advocated for meaningful stakeholder engagement in shaping immigration policy, recognizing that well-informed, transparent decision-making leads to better outcomes for newcomers, employers, and Canadian society. Our recent feedback on the proposed Administrative Penalties and Consequences framework exemplifies this approach.1 We encourage a similar commitment to consultation across all areas of immigration policy, ensuring that new measures align with both operational realities and long-term policy goals.
A strong legislative framework is also essential to ensuring that artificial intelligence (AI) in immigration decision-making upholds transparency, fairness, and accountability. The CBA Section believes that clear legal safeguards in the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act and its regulations are essential to maintain public trust and procedural fairness. We appreciate IRCC’s commitment to ensuring responsible use of AI and welcome the forthcoming IRCC AI Strategy. As AI’s role in immigration expands, the CBA Section’s AI Working Group is eager to support your department in refining its strategy to align with best practices, uphold fundamental rights, and enhance access to justice.
In this spirit, we invite you to attend the CBA's annual Immigration Law Conference, scheduled for June 5-7, 2025, in Victoria, British Columbia. This conference is our largest in-person gathering on immigration, refugee, and citizenship law, bringing together approximately 500 legal professionals, including lawyers, judges, and paralegals, from across the country. The event offers a platform for insightful discussions on pressing issues and fosters networking opportunities among professionals dedicated to advancing Canada's immigration system. We would be honoured to have you address the attendees and share your vision for the future of immigration in Canada.
We look forward to the opportunity to meet with you at your earliest convenience to discuss these initiatives and explore collaborative solutions to enhance Canada's immigration system.
Once again, congratulations on your appointment.
Yours truly,
(original letter signed by Véronique Morissette for Kamaljit K. Lehal)
Kamaljit K. Lehal
Chair, CBA Immigration Law Section