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A lack of travel documents and Canadian visa officers abroad to process tsunami-related cases will be looked at as Immigration Minister Judy Sgro meets the prime minister today. Paul Martin will determine the extent of Canada's tsunami immigration relief after the briefing, government officials said.
Sgro and her staff have met in the past week with 12 groups whose native lands were pummelled by tsunamis.
Immigration officials and politicians were hearing the concerns of groups in Winnipeg and Newfoundland yesterday.
'FACT-FINDING'
In Toronto, another panel met on Sunday in a downtown hotel with more than 50 members of the Sri Lankan, Indian, Indonesian and Somalian communities.
"It was a fact-finding mission," immigration spokesman Rejean Cantlon said yesterday. "We were asking what role the community can play in helping to resettle people."
Sri-guggan Sri-Skanda-rajah, of the Tamil Ealam Society, said many of those awaiting the trip to Canada lost their documents in the tsunami.
Sri-Skanda-rajah said other means have to be used to identify those without papers.
As well, more visa officers are needed.