Building on a Track Record of Successful Immigration Reforms
December 3, 2014 — Ottawa — Canada’s Citizenship and Immigration Minister Chris Alexander today announced that Mario Dion has been appointed as Chairperson of the Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada (IRB), effective January 1, 2015. The appointment is for a 5-year term.
Mr. Dion, 58, has more than 30 years of distinguished service in the public sector. His achievements include playing a key role in the historic 2006 settlement that Canada reached with victims of residential school abuse, serving as chairman of the National Parole Board (2006-2009) and as Commissioner of Public Sector Integrity (2011-2014).
A Montréal native, Mr. Dion obtained a law degree from the University of Ottawa in 1979 and began his legal career in 1980 as a legal advisor at the then-Ministry of the Solicitor General.
In 2003, Mr. Dion was appointed Deputy Minister of Indian Residential Schools Resolution of Canada, where he led efforts to bring closure to 16,000 pending litigation files and, ultimately, the historic 2006 agreement with former residential school students.
The IRB is Canada’s largest independent administrative tribunal. It is responsible for making well-reasoned decisions on immigration and refugee matters, efficiently, fairly and in accordance with the law.
Quick facts
- Canada has one of the most fair and generous immigration systems in the world. Canada welcomes about one out of every 10 resettled refugees globally—more than almost any industrialized country in the world.
- The IRB reports to Parliament through the Minister of Citizenship and Immigration, but the IRB remains independent from Citizenship and Immigration Canada and the Minister.
- The IRB received more than 37,000 cases across its Refugee Protection, Refugee Appeal, Immigration and Immigration Appeal divisions in 2013-14.
Quote
“Mr. Dion’s energy and experience make him the ideal person to lead the Immigration and Refugee Board as it continues to deliver on our successful suite of reforms to Canada’s once-broken asylum system. The Board and the thousands of claimants who depend on it each year will benefit from his extensive managerial experience and his in-depth knowledge of Canada’s legal system.”
Chris Alexander, Canada’s Citizenship and Immigration Minister
Associated links
Contacts
Kevin Menard
Minister’s Office
Citizenship and Immigration Canada
613-954-1064
Media Relations
Communications Branch
Citizenship and Immigration Canada
613-952-1650
CIC-Media-Relations@cic.gc.ca
Building a stronger Canada: Citizenship and Immigration Canada (CIC) strengthens Canada’s economic, social and cultural prosperity, helping ensure Canadian safety and security while managing one of the largest and most generous immigration programs in the world.
