Question Period Note: One Touch Processing

o Opposition and critic concerns with the use of One Touch Program.

 One Touch refugee processing is a method used by Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) officers to process low-risk eligible refugee claims.

 Using this method allows CBSA officers to focus on high-risk claimants.

 Before admissible claimants leave the port of entry, all security and criminal history checks are done by CBSA officers.

The One Touch refugee processing method prioritizes initial risk assessment and increases CBSA’s capacity to process increased volumes of refugee claimants arriving at the POE by providing an expedited process for eligible claimants who have been assessed as low-risk/low-needs.
One Touch processing expedites administrative processing of the approximately 90% of claimants who are considered eligible and low-risk/low-needs allowing officers to focus on high-risk/high-needs and/or ineligible claimants.
The One Touch processing method:
• Upholds the objectives of the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act (IRPA) including:
o Creates a fair and efficient procedure that will maintain the integrity of the Canadian refugee protection system
o Protects the health and safety of Canadians and maintains the security of Canadian society
• Provides a risk assessment of refugee claimants who appear spontaneously at the POE.
• Ensures the full refugee intake process is completed for claimants who are ineligible to be referred to the Refugee Protection Division (RPD) or who are not considered to be low risk.
• Simplifies the administrative process by eliminating the practice of completing or waiting for the paper-based refugee claim application prior to completing the refugee intake process.
• Requires officers to make a decision on admissibility and determine eligibility (i.e. referral to the RPD and issuance of the appropriate removal order).
• Requires adding a time period for the claimant to provide the information and documents to the Agency through the IRCC portal no later than 45 calendar days after the date on which the claim is referred to the RPD.
• Provides claimants with information on how to access the portal to complete the refugee claim application or how to request a paper-based application.
While it is an expedited process, One Touch processing still requires a claimant to be processed by an examining officer and to have their case reviewed by a more senior officer (Minister’s Delegate) prior to departing the Port of Entry.
The primary difference for claimants processed under One Touch processing is that they submit additional administrative details (such as detailed address, work, and education history) electronically after departing the Port of Entry, rather than this information being collected and entered by a Border Services Officer.

None