Government Orders
Mr. Chair, we will try this again. Immigration is our strength. The increased immigration number, because of COVID, because of the last—
Read full speech →Government Orders
Mr. Speaker, it is an absolute honour to be here this evening as the minister of immigration, refugees and citizenship. I want to take a moment to really thank the constituents of Halifax West for placing their faith in me and electing me a second time as their member. I am joined this evening by the deputy minister, Dr. Harpreet S. Kochhar. I want to take a moment to thank him and all the staff w…
Read full speech →Government Orders
Mr. Chair, as I explained, in the estimates, when there is a rise in part of the estimates, there is a correlation decrease in another estimate.
Read full speech →Government Orders
Mr. Chair, we have service standards. From my briefings, in the very short time that I have been a minister, I understand we are actually meeting and exceeding those standards.
Read full speech →Government Orders
Mr. Chair, I say again that for people leaving the country, the exits are managed by CBSA—
Read full speech →Government Orders
Mr. Chair, managed migration growth is what this country needs at the present time, and this is the government that—
Read full speech →Government Orders
Mr. Chair, temporary residents enrich Canada's economy and cultural fabric, so the government is committed to reducing temporary immigration growth to better align with the needs of our labour market, housing supply and community capacity. In order to accomplish this, a study permit cap has been introduced, and eligibility requirements for work permits have been tightened, including a reduced inta…
Read full speech →Government Orders
Mr. Chair, again, we are managing our targets. We have committed to reducing both our permanent residents and our temporary allocations. We have 2025-27 levels—
Read full speech →Government Orders
Mr. Chair, we actually spoke about that and it is in the estimates. We have biometrics that—
Read full speech →Government Orders
Mr. Chair, the member would probably know more than me the colour of her shirt. She is wearing it.
Read full speech →Government Orders
Mr. Chair, I do not think the member really has been here throughout the whole proceedings. Estimates were tabled. We have our levels planned. We have the numbers of the different categories of people who are being brought in. We have met those—
Read full speech →Government Orders
Mr. Chair, we have a levels plan that has been tabled in this House. We have targeted numbers. Those numbers are very much in the public eye. Everybody can look at them. We are meeting those numbers.
Read full speech →Government Orders
Mr. Chair, again, the government is committed to sustainable immigration levels, so we are calibrating the volume of immigrants to help alleviate some pressure on the housing demand. As such, IRCC is stabilizing permanent residents as well as temporary admissions to less than 1% of Canada's population annually beyond 2027. We are focusing on attracting global talent from around the world in order …
Read full speech →Government Orders
Mr. Chair, I was a minister of immigration provincially for eight years. I have seen what this country has gone—
Read full speech →Government Orders
Mr. Chair, I believe I have been answering the questions.
Read full speech →Government Orders
Mr. Chair, to be clear, when a person's visa expires, they are expected to leave the country. That is a question for CBSA and the minister of public—
Read full speech →Government Orders
Mr. Chair, I have been the minister for a total of about three weeks already, and I do not recall saying statements like that.
Read full speech →Government Orders
Mr. Chair, we recognize that there are challenges in our housing and infrastructure. That is why we have tabled the levels plan that works on sustainable immigration. We are reducing our permanent residency—
Read full speech →Government Orders
Mr. Chair, again I would say that we are working on sustainable immigration. We have committed to reducing the temporary numbers as well as our permanent residency numbers. Canada—
Read full speech →Government Orders
Mr. Chair, I do not know how much time I have, but perhaps you would allow me. When numbers are set in those targets, I know, as a previous provincial minister—
Read full speech →Government Orders
Mr. Chair, COVID caused the strain on our system. We had more people coming in throughout all of Canada. There was a lot of—
Read full speech →Government Orders
Mr. Chair, again, those numbers are taken way out of context.
Read full speech →Government Orders
Mr. Chair, again, we have met and exceeded the target for the first quarter of 2025.
Read full speech →Government Orders
Mr. Chair, we are on track to meet the target that we have set for our immigration number, and that is to reduce the overall number of permanent and temporary residents in this country.
Read full speech →Government Orders
Mr. Chair, we work very hard at IRCC with our partners around the globe to ensure that—
Read full speech →Government Orders
Mr. Chair, again, we have rules in this country, and we expect people to follow those rules.
Read full speech →Government Orders
Mr. Chair, CBSA is in charge of removals. I would suggest that the member should be asking the public safety minister the questions on that. Again I say to her that we have rules in—
Read full speech →Government Orders
Mr. Chair, people coming to Canada temporarily to work, to study—
Read full speech →Government Orders
Mr. Chair, all immigrants who come here, whether they are international students or temporary foreign workers, are screened by biometrics. Comprehensive screening is done.
Read full speech →Government Orders
Mr. Chair, those people whose visas have expired are expected to be leaving.
Read full speech →Government Orders
Mr. Chair, those numbers would be for the Department of Public Safety. People whose visas are expired, if they have not renewed them, and there are many people who renewed their—
Read full speech →Government Orders
Mr. Chair, we know that for the first quarter, we have reduced our numbers at well below the targeted rate.
Read full speech →Government Orders
Mr. Chair, all the numbers have been tabled in terms of our targets. We are exceeding those targets for the first quarter of 2025.
Read full speech →Government Orders
Mr. Chair, we have begun to decline for the first quarter of 2025, to 7.2%. The—
Read full speech →Government Orders
Mr. Chair, we are concentrating on bringing the talent that Canada needs, and that includes people in the medical world and in the construction world. Those are the targets that we are concentrating on.
Read full speech →Government Orders
Mr. Chair, we are targeting the talent that we need, including physicians and people who work in construction. There are specific programs that were designed to target bringing those individuals to our communities.
Read full speech →Government Orders
Mr. Chair, again, we have brought in physicians, nurses and health care workers, people to actually care for Canadians, through those programs, and that is something we will target and keep bringing.
Read full speech →Government Orders
Mr. Chair, again, we are working to stabilize the immigration numbers, but we also want to bring in talent.
Read full speech →Government Orders
Mr. Chair, we have a dedicated stream that will work with the provinces and the communities. In fact, in my own province of—
Read full speech →Government Orders
Mr. Chair, again, the provinces and the communities themselves are also working on these pathways. I know, as a former minister—
Read full speech →Government Orders
Mr. Chair, when those targets are set, the IRCC has to consult all provinces, territories, stakeholders and communities.
Read full speech →Government Orders
Mr. Chair, our 2027 target is 5% of Canada's population. We are working—
Read full speech →Government Orders
Mr. Chair, the figures I have been presented with have told me that, because of the work we have been doing in cities like Toronto, there is now a decline of 8.1% in rent.
Read full speech →Government Orders
Mr. Chair, I have done my best to answer the questions. There are times when the amount of time is limited. Members are asking very important questions, questions that Canadians rightfully asked when we went to the doors in the last campaign, which was only—
Read full speech →Government Orders
Mr. Chair, we recognize that we need to balance our immigration levels with the pressures on housing, and that is exactly what we are doing.
Read full speech →Government Orders
Mr. Chair, we have introduced student caps. We have also worked with the institutions. The provinces are very well aware, and they are working with their universities and colleges through the designated learning institutions. We have put all kinds of limitations and expectations on the universities.
Read full speech →Government Orders
Mr. Chair, we are meeting those targets; in fact we have more than met the expectation of the targets.
Read full speech →Government Orders
Mr. Chair, how much has the federal government spent? I did have that in my estimates actually, and I will get it for the member.
Read full speech →Government Orders
Mr. Chair, that is absolutely not my intention.
Read full speech →Government Orders
Mr. Chair, the housing temporary relief that we have is long-term. We provided money to provinces in order to build infrastructure that is permanent. The number—
Read full speech →