Thousands of migration files assigned to inactive agents

According to information obtained by CBC, Radio-Canada’s English network, some of them have not been connected to a computer for more than a decade.

Data from Global Case Management System (GCMS).IRCC — an internal system used worldwide to process immigration and citizenship applications — has assigned 59,456 open, pending or reopened immigration application files to 779 former employees or inactive users since last February.

Once the user goes offline, the Ministry tells the CBC, This means he no longer uses his computer and his accesses are no longer available.

The data also shows when each employee or user logged into the ministry’s system.

Agents have been inactive for 15 years

We can publicly identify employeesIRCC By codes, it consists of a combination of letters and numbers, for example AB12345.

Therefore, the oldest link to the system dates back to October 6, 2006, with a Montreal-based code request. In addition, 19 requests were assigned a code or an Edmonton employee who last logged into the system on May 9, 2007.

I’m afraid their system can do that.Andrea Bote, who applied for permanent residency in Canada, said her file was sent to an inactive user.

” How can you ignore such a thing for so long? Lots of files that end up between the cracks. »

Immigration lawyer Jean-Sébastien Boudreult is no longer surprised by this Horror stories.

Before, I was able to talk to the immigration officers, I was able to talk to the managers, but now there are walls everywhere and I have trouble talking to people.He said, on Monday morning, in the program Information firstAt ICI RDI.

Of course, procedures must be put in place, Boudreult agrees with me. But we have put so many procedures, we have put so much distance between the user, the migrant, his representatives and the authorities, that we can no longer talk to anyone.

According to him, Deadlines are no longer meaningful. For this reason, he advises applicants for immigration Follow their case and D’Act quickly When the timeline is displayed on the websiteIRCC There are overflowed.

Cases around the world

Earlier this year, the CBC shared stories of several people whose cases were lost in the drag after being assigned to an agent known as DM10032. For years, their demands went unaddressed.

After the airing of the report, applicants assigned to this agent — who had become inactive, the ministry confirmed — finally saw progress in their files in the months that followed.

CBC filed a Freedom of Information request in JanuaryIRCC To get all codes of inactive employees or users who have files assigned to them.

In October, the ministry finally sent data showing a list of hundreds of codes, a combination of former employees and usernames that were inactive as of February 2022.

These codes are located all over the world: Canadian airports, port customs and visa application centers, embassies and consulates in the United States, the Philippines, India, Haiti, Poland, Brazil, and Tunisia, to name a few.

Ottawa tops the list

Ottawa has a large number of inactive codes. The federal capital was followed by Edmonton, Vancouver and Sydney in Nova Scotia.

Code SM10353 was the most problematic, with 9,540 immigration applications assigned to it. This former employee or user from Sydney last logged in on March 23, 2021.

A user code is a unique identifier. Once assigned, no other user can inherit itA spokesperson explainedIRCC. When a user no longer needs to use the system, his code becomes inactive.

The ministry pointed out that it cannot delete user accounts that are no longer active, as this would result in loss of traceability.

The reason is IRCC It is not clear what happens to inactive users who assign records or requests related to these codes. The ministry did not respond to CBC on the matter.

The department has clarified that more than one officer may be involved in processing applications and files may be transferred from one center to another for efficiency.