Be wary of politicizing refugees: UNHCR

With the future of the Immigration and Refugee Board under review, one thing is certain, the head of the United Nations refugee agency said Monday: it needs to remain independent.

“You have a body in this country that is insulated, relatively well insulated, from political pressures,’’ Filippo Grandi said in an interview. “And I think that’s important, especially at this time of great politicization.’’

The board has for months been struggling with a rapidly growing caseload, pushing wait times for hearings from weeks to months.

In June, Immigration Minister Ahmed Hussen ordered a full review of the arms-length tribunal, and that was even before a surge of asylum seekers at the border placed additional pressure on the board’s decision-makers. In August, more than 2,300 claims were filed from border crossers, and a further 5,390 were filed in September.

One idea under consideration is whether the Immigration department itself should take over the refugee determination process.

Grandi said he echoes concerns from advocates who say that could risk politicizing the process.

“The board has to remain independent, this for us is very, very important,’’ he said.