While reviewing an application of a refugee from Ghana, the Federal Court of Canada stated that it is not consistent with Immigration and Refugee Protection Act (IRPA) “to process applications from Western countries while applications in Ghana were left to languish.” The Judge agreed that the epidemic disrupted a wide range of government operations, including spousal sponsorship applications’ evaluation, especially in regions where there was no infrastructure or resources available to keep services running online and through virtual conversations, as occurred in many developing countries. However, cases, where virtual interviews were not available, require adaptability, and it would be appropriate to proceed with the interviews over the phone.
