News Release – Government of Canada announces five appointments to the Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada to help reduce backlog of refugee claims

Ottawa, November 3, 2010 — Five appointments to the Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada (IRB) were announced today by Citizenship, Immigration and Multiculturalism Minister Jason Kenney.

James Railton, Michael Somers, Nina Stanwick and George Wang were appointed to the Toronto regional office. Richard W. Jackson was appointed to the Vancouver regional office.

These experienced former members of the IRB will be able to begin hearing cases quickly after a brief training period and will help reduce the backlog of refugee claims during the period of transition to the new refugee determination system. The end of their mandates coincides with the coming into force of the Balanced Refugee Reform Act, currently scheduled to be implemented in late 2011.

Created in 1989, the IRB is an independent administrative tribunal that reports to Parliament through the Minister of Citizenship, Immigration and Multiculturalism. The Board has three divisions – the Refugee Protection Division, the Immigration Appeal Division and the Immigration Division. The IRB determines refugee protection claims made in Canada, hears immigration appeals, and conducts admissibility hearings and detention reviews.

For further information (media only), please contact:

Alykhan Velshi
Minister’s Office
Citizenship and Immigration Canada

Media Relations
Communications Branch
Citizenship and Immigration Canada
613-952-1650
CIC-Media-Relations@cic.gc.ca

Backgrounder

• Appointments to the Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada