Government Orders
Mr. Chair, we do have a youth unemployment rate. There are many factors in that rate. The rate has recently been rising. The temporary foreign worker program—
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Mr. Chair, we have very strict rules for employers looking to hire temporary foreign workers. It was this government that tightened the rules as well to ensure that it is a last resort.
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Mr. Chair, we have a proactive response to all misconduct, and action is appropriately managed. There have been some who have been fired.
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Mr. Speaker, what Canadians need to know is that, because of a Liberal budget and because of a Liberal bill, Bill C-12, and as confirmed by the Parliamentary Budget Officer, there will be $400 million in savings, $200 million plus another $200 million, in the interim health care coverage, because asylum numbers have gone down and because we brought forth Bill C-12 to curb exactly those situations.
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Mr. Chair, IRCC does not tolerate at all any misconduct. The report was proactively published. It is very transparent for all Canadians to see.
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Mr. Chair, let me go back to the member's other question for a moment. We have tightened all kinds of rules and restrictions and have made penalties for all our consultants.
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Mr. Chair, IRGC officials, as we have said, are inadmissible to Canada. It was the Liberal government that put that ban in place, and it continues to be there.
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Mr. Chair, in fact we spent standing committee meetings on the Auditor General's report, which actually confirmed that a number of the actions that the IRCC department has taken were very effective.
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Mr. Chair, I very much appreciate that question. Absolutely, we are honouring the accord. Absolutely, we are working very hard with the Province of Quebec and its immigration minister.
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Mr. Speaker, as I have said the last number of days, the Parliamentary Budget Officer confirmed what we already know and that is this health program provides limited, temporary, essential health coverage for vulnerable people. The cost is tied to volumes. The good news is our volumes have gone down by 59%. Taxpayers will save over $200 million annually because of the IFHP changes that we have inst…
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Mr. Chair, again, what we did in this piece of legislation was ensure that citizenship by descent cannot be passed on indefinitely. We have provided clarity, we have provided structure, and we have provided control to citizenship by descent.
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Mr. Chair, this matter falls under provincial jurisdiction. At the federal level, as I said, we are working closely with the Province of Quebec, with the Quebec minister, and with the members here.
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Mr. Chair, IRCC has followed up with 100% of flagged cases.
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Mr. Chair, I think the Conservatives have a real problem with this. I just want to say that the government has acted to protect the value of citizenship by passing this piece of legislation and ensuring that people value our citizenship and our Canadian—
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Mr. Chair, as the member knows, two days ago, we held a press conference in which we put immigration measures in place to protect the safety of Canadians.
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Mr. Chair, I am working very hard for the French language and for francophone communities across Canada, and therefore in Quebec as well. This is something that I care deeply about.
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Mr. Chair, anybody can claim anything. However, there is a requirement that proof of ancestry at every chain must be established.
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Mr. Chair, the department is working very hard to process all claims. I can tell him that between now and the end—
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Mr. Chair, as we have said, and we have been very clear with Canadians and all employers, Canadians must always be first in line for jobs.
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Mr. Chair, let me just set the record straight. In my first year as minister, we had a 59% reduction in asylum claims in early 2026 compared to 2024, temporary foreign work permits are down 75% in 2026 compared to 2024, and new student visas—
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Mr. Chair, again, if the question relates to the IRB, it is an independent body, as I said. It does report to Parliament. There are laws in the country that it has to adhere to, and we expect it to do that.
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Mr. Chair, as I have said, we have taken the necessary steps to respond to the Ebola outbreak and protect public health in coordination with our partners, including the Public Health Agency of Canada, Canada Border Services Agency and Global Affairs—
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Mr. Chair, as I said, I have worked very closely with all provinces, territories and ministers responsible for immigration in all those jurisdictions, and I have excellent relationships with them.
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Mr. Chair, we share Canadians' concern, and we are working to ensure that we manage migration responsibly, because that is what Canadians expect. I have worked very strongly with all provinces and territories. In fact, so far we have held five meetings together.
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Mr. Chair, as I said before, we have some good examples. New Brunswick's immigration minister has set an example for all other ministers that it is—
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Mr. Chair, it is a wonderful question, because I was a provincial minister of immigration for eight years. Immigration is a shared responsibility between the two levels of government, and in my job, I will continue to work with the provinces and territories accordingly.
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Mr. Chair, we have been clear that Canadians always deserve and should be getting the jobs first. There are strict rules, and they have been tightened considerably for temporary foreign workers in a very targeted way that remains the last resort for employers to find workers. There are some businesses and communities that are still needing them. My job is to manage migration and to invest in our y…
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Mr. Chair, as I have indicated, we have a plan. The plan is working. There has been a considerable reduction in the number of temporary workers. We have tightened integrity measures. We will continue to look at those. There are members of Parliament from the opposition who are advocating—
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Mr. Chair, employers bringing in people under the temporary foreign worker program have strict requirements they have to comply with. They have to show that they have taken considerable measures to find Canadian workers. The ministry of employment and workforce—
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Mr. Chair, all serious crimes should be dealt with by the courts, by the laws and by the board, and there are consequences that criminals face.
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Mr. Chair, we work with the provinces and territories to focus on addressing the labour market gaps. Quite frankly, I have received letters from Conservative members of Parliament as well, advocating for the temporary foreign worker program.
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Mr. Chair, we continue to prioritize trades workers, as I said, such as carpenters, plumbers and machinists. I have personally met with union leaders right here in the House of Commons building, and also in provinces that I have actually visited. We continue to work with them, and we will ensure that our—
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Mr. Chair, we have implemented strict requirements for all employers, which they have to adhere to. The temporary foreign worker program is meant to be exactly that: temporary. However, it is also to ensure that we fill those labour gaps that Canadians cannot fill.
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Mr. Chair, there is worker compliance protection in Canada. Temporary foreign workers have the same employment standards, but there are also rules they have to follow. Businesses also must adhere to strict conditions. These are managed not just by IRCC but also by the employment and workforce department. We work across government to ensure that we manage our immigration system accordingly, appropr…
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Mr. Chair, when a non-citizen is convicted of a serious crime, immigration consequences follow. The CBSA will investigate, and there is due process, if it is there, and then they do get deported.
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Mr. Chair, first let me thank the member for Burnaby Central for the work that he is already doing on behalf of his constituents. I know he brings a valuable perspective here, particularly because he is also an immigrant to Canada and has lived experience. With respect to the Hong Kong pathway, Canada stands with the people of Hong Kong, and we support their human rights and freedom. We have imple…
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Mr. Chair, I love to hear about skilled trades. That is something this budget is offering: lots and lots of positions for skilled trades for young people and people of all ages in terms of compensation, but we also want to attract people—
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Mr. Chair, I was provincial minister for eight years before now and have been a federal minister for 12 months. I understand the TEER levels, the skilled trades and construction, having come from that world. The important thing is that the measures that have been implemented are working.
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Mr. Chair, I really appreciate this discussion here tonight because it is really important. It affects a lot of people. We take that very seriously. Criminals, whether Canadians, visitors or whatever their status is in Canada, will be held responsible by the law. The courts do their best. If they are non-Canadians, the CBSA investigates. Our priority is to always protect Canadians.
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Mr. Chair, our measures are working. We have tightened regulations. Employers in the workforce have already tightened them. It is correct that there have been 74% fewer new worker arrivals. That is down 103,160 people in the first three months of 2026, compared to 2024.
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Mr. Chair, public safety is our top priority. In fact, I was a justice minister provincially in 2013. I understand that more than anyone else. We have multiple crime bills before us in this House that that party and that member have been obstructing since we came here. We are investing in law enforcement. Our priority is to ensure that Canadians are kept safe.
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Mr. Chair, I said that serious crimes deserve serious consequences. The CBSA has deported, as the public safety minister said today, 23,000 people. There is nothing in the immigration law that allows for discounting sentences. Sentences must be proportionate to the crime and the context. As I said, we are—
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Mr. Chair, the Government of Canada made a commitment for certain numbers, and we are fulfilling that commitment to the best of our abilities.
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Mr. Chair, I will repeat again that IRGC officials are inadmissible to Canada. There have been 17,800 applications reviewed for potential inadmissibility, and 239 visas have been cancelled by the IRCC.
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Mr. Chair, we worked very hard. There was Bill C-12, and we also made changes with things—
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Mr. Chair, as part of interim housing assistance program agreements with the IRCC, two provinces, Newfoundland and Labrador and New Brunswick, support the voluntary relocation of asylum claimants—
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Mr. Chair, again, I will repeat that these are temporary essential services for vulnerable individuals. They are for the most vulnerable population.
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Mr. Chair, again, these are essential services for the most vulnerable of the population, and they are aligned to the services social services clients receive in the provinces and territories.
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Mr. Chair, we are working with the provinces and territories on achieving that objective.
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Mr. Chair, as I said, IRGC officials are inadmissible to Canada. There is a long-standing ban, and that ban continues to be enforced.
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