Conservatives Failing New Canadian Families - Karygiannis

StarBuzz Weekly, Toronto-TORONTO - The Honourable Jim Karygiannis, Member of Parliament for Scarborough-Agincourt and Liberal Critic for Multiculturalism, has criticized the Conservative Government for failing new Canadians by freezing applications for parental sponsorships.

“First, the Conservatives dramatically increased wait-times.  Now, under the false cover of dealing with the backlog they themselves created, they are keeping families apart.”  said Mr. Karygiannis.  “The Conservatives have failed and families are paying for it.”

In some cases wait-times for parental sponsorships have increased over 100% in some cases since 2006.  The processing time for an application can take almost a decade before a decision is made.  In Egypt, processing time went from 40 months in 2007 to 76 months in 2011, an increase of 90%.

“Harper and Kenney tout that they firmly believe in ‘family values’.  However, their actions put this belief into serious question.”  Mr. Karygiannis commented.  “I guess ‘family values’ are important if you are born in Canada, but if you have immigrated to Canada, you will just have to wait.”

Mr. Karygiannis and his colleagues will continue to consult with stakeholders and affected Canadians about the impact the Harper government’s measures are having on families and communities.  They will continue to oppose actions taken against new Canadians by this government.