MP urges reopening of citizenship centre

The Member of Parliament for Thunder Bay-Rainy River is calling on the federal government to reverse its decision to close the local Citizenship and Immigration office.

New Democrat John Rafferty said many more people are contacting him for help with immigration issues such as the one that is stalling Dhamender Dhankhar's plans to go to India for his sister's wedding.

The government still refuses to comment on why Dhankhar has had to spend hours trying to get through on the Citizenship and Immigration's help line.

Rafferty said the closure of the office will hinder northwestern Ontario's efforts to attract new Canadians. 

"It's really kind of a slap in the face. It's saying, 'You know what? Years and years ago, when we set up this immigration portal, it was wonderful. Things worked, people were coming, people were staying.  And now, you know what, too bad, so sad, we're going to make it more difficult for people to move their families and themselves to northern Ontario,'" Rafferty said. 

Web and phone services are not enough, he said.

"If you have … what the government calls an urgent inquiry, there is an 888 number to call, but if you've ever tried to call that you'll be on it all day waiting for someone to answer," Rafferty said.

Citizenship and Immigration declined a CBC News request for an interview. But, in an email, a spokesperson said Dhankhar can get everything he needs online.

If he needs his proof of citizenship processed urgently, the email said, he can request that by email.

However, the department doesn't have much to say about its helpline.   That's the toll-free number Dhankhar found advertised at Thunder Bay's shut-down Citizenship and Immigration office.

For weeks, he's called it over and over again, only to hear a recording saying agents are too busy to respond.

Citizenship and Immigration said that it serves millions of people every year, and that the department has taken many steps to make improvements, but its work is not done.

"We serve millions of people every year. We have taken many steps to improve the way we serve people, but our work is not done. We are committed to providing a secure, efficient, and responsive immigration system," the department said in an email.

Regarding the documentation Dhankhar has been trying to call the helpline about after he found the local Citizenship and Immigration office was closed, the email said: "The application form and the instructions can be found on our website. Please keep in mind the fact that Mr. Dhankhar has to apply online is not something new and isn't a result of the office closure.

"In addition, he can make a request to have his application processed urgently by emailing us at question@cic.gc.ca. Please note that this email address is not intended for general enquiries, it is to assist people who have applications in process. All other emails will not receive a response.

"With more and more services being provided electronically, fewer applicants will find it necessary to invest their time and money in a visit to a regional office.  This is also more convenient as these online services are available 24 hours a day."

The spokesperson said that, since the CBC story appeared earlier this week, staff have been trying to reach Dhankhar to offer assistance.