The role of MP offices in immigration
The office and the CA: federal MPs’ district offices and staff in the provision of immigration services in Canada
Dr. Danièle Bélanger
Canada Research Chair in Global Migration Dynamics
Universite Laval
Thursday, Jan. 13, 4:00 - 5:00 pm
A virtual event on Zoom
RSVP to socevent@uwo.ca for the Zoom link.
Immigration lawyers, immigration consultants, educational institutions and community organisations who provide immigration services have been studied as key actors of the landscape of immigration services in Canada. This talk will investigate the place and role of federal MP offices and their constituency assistants (CAs) in this field of players that deal with Canada’s thick immigration bureaucracy. Scant past research has noted that the level and type of services provided by MP district offices vary. This situation creates inequalities among constituents in their access to this unique resource with privileged access to information from IRCC and other governmental agencies. This talk will investigate this situation further by addressing three questions. First, how are MP offices and the constituency assistants who do immigration work located in the constellation of services? To what extent and why are they key actors? Second, what are the factors that determine the level and type of services offered across MP offices in Canada? Third, what is the role of discretion in the office in shaping services provided? Based on quantitative data (administrative data and original survey data from 117 of the 338 offices) and a set of 33 qualitative interviews with constituency assistants, this talk will begin to unpack and theorize the place and the role played by this very important, and yet understudied, actor.
Danièle Bélanger is a Professor in the Department of Geography and Canada Research Chair in Global Migration Dynamics at Laval University in Quebec City. Her research interests include international migrations, social demography, gender, population and development, gender and social inequalities, and reproductive health.
Brought to you by the Department of Sociology, the Social Science Student Donation Fund, and the Centre for Research on Migration and Ethnic Relations.
A joint colloquium, presented by the Centre for Research on Migration and Ethnic Relations and the Department of Sociology.
Contact socevent@uwo.ca if you have any questions regarding this event.
