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Mr. Chair, we work very closely with public safety partners, including the CBSA, the RCMP, policing partners and provincial authorities. We review each applicant to ensure that they do not pose a threat prior—
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Mr. Chair, since 2023, we have introduced integrity measures, including stronger verification and letters of acceptance to all international students. We have made consistent follow-ups on flagged cases—
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Mr. Chair, let us calm down here a little bit. We have integrity measures. We have strengthened all of the measures. We are working diligently. Everyone who applies to Canada is assessed by trained immigration officers.
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Mr. Chair, IRCC initially screens each applicant when they apply for a visa or an electronic travel authorization document, whether it is for work, for study or for permanent residency.
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Mr. Chair, we screen every applicant who is coming to Canada, regardless of the reason they are coming. CBSA removes serious criminals who have no right to be here. We work with policing. We work with RCMP—
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Mr. Chair, serious offences like this deserve serious consequences. The Immigration and Refugee Protection Act does not include anything on special treatment or leniency for—
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Mr. Chair, as my colleague, the Minister of Public Safety, said today, the Canada Border Services Agency removed over 23,000 inadmissible people last year.
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Mr. Chair, again, the Canada Border Services Agency and Public Safety work to ensure they follow up on these matters and investigate them.
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Mr. Chair, no crime is acceptable regardless of the degree of the crime.
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Mr. Chair, the integrity of Canadian citizenship is paramount. There are clear, identifiable steps people have to adhere to, follow and abide by in order to even get to that step.
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Mr. Chair, we have taken considerable action. Actions speak louder than words in this wonderful institution we have. We have laws and we will continue to work with—
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Mr. Chair, serious crime deserves serious consequences. There are investigations that happen, and they will be deported.
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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, I recognize the member opposite had a private member's bill that was voted down. I appreciate her advocacy. We have laws. There is nothing in IRPA that allows that. If we find a person in Canada who has committed a crime and is a non-Canadian, the Canada Border Services Agency investigates, all of them, and that person could become inadmissible and removed from Canada.
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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, 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, 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, the bill stopped citizenship indefinitely. The right thing to do was to pass that piece of legislation. It provided clarity, structure and control to citizenship by descent.
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Mr. Chair, I am going to point to a track record in my first year as a minister of managing migration. The first is that asylum claims have gone down 60% in early 2026 compared to 2024. The second is that new student visas were down 80% in early 2026 compared to 2024. Temporary foreign workers are down—
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Mr. Chair, the member mentioned 2018, which is fabulous. I was a provincial minister and, in fact, acted as the minister of labour and advanced education in 2020. I worked very closely with the unions in my province and can speak to some of that.
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Mr. Chair, there are two things. The first is that the department has investigated each and every case flagged. The second is that we brought in Bill C-12, which would eliminate all the irregularities of those who filed but should not have filed.
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Mr. Chair, in fact, the Auditor General found clear evidence of improvements in that there are fewer student visas being issued. I have already talked about the arrivals of these students. It is a significant decrease. Perhaps the member does not want any to come to the country. Perhaps she should be speaking to the universities, provinces, territories, municipalities and people—
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Mr. Chair, under my express entry category, we continue to prioritize tradespeople such as carpenters, plumbers and machinists. We have been told that these are gaps and that the workers are needed today here in Canada, particularly as we build the country.
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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, 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, 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, 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, the Liberal government has recognized and registered the IRGC as a terrorist organization, and it is inadmissible to Canada.
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Mr. Chair, I want to thank my colleague again. I also thank all members who are spending their time here this evening. Just looking at my watch, I see it is maybe 10 o'clock Nova Scotia time, so I thank anybody who is watching this for being up—
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Mr. Chair, I actually have a lot to say to respond to this particular member, the member for Pierrefonds—Dollard, because he has been a tremendous advocate and has worked very hard for the people in his community but also for vulnerable communities throughout. He has been a real champion on humanitarian issues. What really struck me is that he brought his youth council into his office when they vi…
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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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Mr. Chair, the IRCC and Public Safety Canada review each and every application at multiple stages. As I have said, IRGC officials are inadmissible to Canada.
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Mr. Chair, our priority is the safety and security of Canadians, and IRGC officials are inadmissible to Canada.
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Mr. Chair, I believe I answered that at one point at committee, but these agreements are public knowledge. They are public and they are viewable. I invite the member to look at them.
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Mr. Chair, the safety and security of Canadians is our priority. We work with CBSA, policing partners, the public safety minister and others to ensure we protect Canadians.
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Mr. Chair, as I said, 17,800 applications have been reviewed for potential inadmissibility. The IRCC suspended or cancelled 239 visas, and 176 investigations are ongoing with the CBSA.
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Mr. Chair, IRGC officials are inadmissible to Canada. There is a ban in place. It continues to be there. There are 176 investigations that have been opened by the CBSA.
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Mr. Chair, when it comes to inadmissibility, some travellers are never issued permission to travel. Some travellers have their authority revoked before they travel. Other travellers are deported from airports. There are multiple—
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Mr. Chair, first, let me begin by thanking the member for Spadina—Harbourfront for her real advocacy. She is a real champion for people who need humanitarian protection and for settlement organizations. I did visit with her, in her community, Centre francophone, and I saw the great work the settlement organization is doing. I very much appreciated her remarks, particularly when she referred to the…
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Mr. Chair, I believe that was written in some article that was in fact corrected because it was not correct. The guidelines do not allow inadmissibility hearings to be delayed.
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Mr. Chair, our government remains focused on removing criminals from the country.
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Mr. Chair, the IRB has confirmed that it will use them only in very exceptional, limited circumstances. They are not used in cases.
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Mr. Chair, the Conservatives were in power a decade ago. Canada has never had an exit tracking system. What we are doing now is ensuring that we build one.
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Mr. Chair, that is a really good question. Under my watch, we have laid the foundation for the first exit tracking system in the country.
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Mr. Chair, CBSA officers can review, case by case, whether to track people, but in terms of a comprehensive exit tracking system, we have now initiated the foundation to ensure that we build that for all going forward.
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Mr. Chair, as I said, we have passed Bill C-12 to ensure that we protect our borders, that we have integrity in our system and that we reinforce our values. The plan that we have set is working. The numbers of asylum claimants, student visas and temporary workers are down considerably.
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Mr. Chair, IRCC and CBSA continue to improve how the immigration and border systems work together. With respect to temporary residents, we are taking steps to help those with status be compliant with immigration law and respect the conditions of their stay.
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Mr. Chair, temporary residents who do not leave Canada once their authorized period of stay has ended face consequences, including removal from Canada and restrictions if they wish to come back.
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Mr. Chair, as I have said, there are consequences for people who do not abide by the conditions and who do not leave. CBSA removed 23,000 inadmissible people last year, and we are launching the pilot to better manage, reduce and enforce overstays.
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Mr. Chair, in 2024, prior to me becoming a minister, the government introduced special measures to facilitate temporary residence for up to 5,000 extended family members in Gaza of Canadian citizens and permanent residents.
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