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Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship

During question period, the Conservatives pressed the government on immigration enforcement. Pierre Poilievre said the immigration minister should be fired, citing her admission that the government cannot confirm whether people leave when their permits expire, an entry permit granted to a member of Iran’s IRGC, and Auditor General findings on screening of non-citizens; he also cited a report that roughly 700 IRGC members are in Canada with only one removed. Prime Minister Mark Carney replied that senior IRGC officials remain inadmissible, described safeguards he said are working, and cited figures including 17,000 inadmissibility reviews, 330 cancelled Iranian-linked visas, and 22,000 removals last year, adding that the government has cut asylum claims, temporary foreign workers, and international student numbers. He also announced that Louise Arbour will be the next Governor General.Written by AI from the debate. Updated .

Official text

8 statements

Pierre Poilievre

Conservative
“The Prime Minister is mismanaging immigration. His minister admitted the government does not know if people leave when their student permits expire, and has no plan to deport people here illegally. Does the Prime Minister agree with letting people stay illegally, or will he fire his minister?”
Official Hansard

Mr. Speaker, despite the illusions, this Prime Minister is bringing more costs, more debt, more taxes, and more chaos to immigration. He is just another Liberal. Yesterday, his Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship admitted that this Liberal government cannot even confirm that people who were here as temporary students left the country once their permits expired. She admits that the Liberal government has no plan to deport people who are here illegally. Does the Prime Minister agree with keeping people who are here illegally, or is he going to fire his minister?

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Mark Carney

Liberal
“Louise Arbour will be the next Governor General of Canada. She respects our laws, our democracy, and people's rights.”

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Official Hansard

Mr. Speaker, today I am pleased to announce that Louise Arbour will be the next Governor General of Canada. She has a deep understanding of and respect for Canadian institutions, the rule of law, democracy, freedom, and the rights of all Canadians and people around the world.

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Pierre Poilievre

Conservative

Linked statement

“The immigration minister let an Iranian terrorist into Canada. The Auditor General found the government does not properly screen non-citizens, leading to fraud in the student visa system. Will the Prime Minister fire this minister, or is he to blame?”
Official Hansard

Mr. Speaker, according to her testimony, this is the same Liberal minister who meets with the Prime Minister to chat every week. Her department gave an entry permit to an Iranian terrorist. A brief Google search would have shown that he does not belong here in Canada. The Auditor General confirmed that the Liberals do not screen non-citizens, allowing widespread fraud in the student system. Will the Prime Minister fire his incompetent minister, or is this incompetence on the Prime Minister himself?

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Mark Carney

Liberal
“Current and former top Iranian military leaders are banned from entering Canada. Our policy has not changed, and we are making sure they do not get in.”

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Official Hansard

Mr. Speaker, current and former senior IRGC officials and leaders are not allowed into Canada. There is no change in government policy, and we are taking steps to make sure that does not happen.

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Pierre Poilievre

Conservative
“The government let a terrorist into the country. It also has no way to track if people who are here illegally leave. The immigration minister is doing a bad job. When will the Prime Minister fire her?”
Official Hansard

Mr. Speaker, despite the illusions, the Prime Minister brings more costs, more debt and more chaos to immigration. Recently, his Liberal immigration minister admitted that her department granted a permit to enter the country to an IRGC terrorist. The Auditor General also confirms that the Liberal government has no way of confirming that people who are here illegally ever actually leave. There is no exit tracking whatsoever. The Prime Minister appointed the Liberal immigration minister, has kept her in place for a year and meets with her weekly. Is it because she is incompetent, or is her incompetence actually his incompetence, and when will he fire her?

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Mark Carney

Liberal
“Senior officials from Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps cannot enter Canada. Our government has taken back control of immigration. We cut the number of asylum seekers by one-third, temporary foreign workers by half, and international students by two-thirds to a level Canada can support.”

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Official Hansard

Mr. Speaker, senior officials of the IRGC are not admissible in Canada, full stop. There are several layers of protection, and they work. That is the first point. The second is this: What has the government done? We have taken back control of immigration. We have reduced the number of asylum seekers by one-third, temporary foreign workers by half and foreign students by two-thirds. We have gotten the flow of immigration back to a level of welcoming that the country can sustain.

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Pierre Poilievre

Conservative
“There are roughly 700 Iranian regime members in Canada, and the government has only removed one. The government also does not track who leaves the country, and it let in millions of students with no plan to remove them. I want to know if the Prime Minister will fire the immigration minister.”
Official Hansard

Mr. Speaker, that is factually wrong. There are roughly 700 IRGC members here in Canada, according to a report by Global News, and the government claims to have expelled only one, one out of 700. Furthermore, the Prime Minister has no idea who has left the country, because the Liberals still do not track departures. This is despite the fact that the Liberal government allowed millions of international students to come in, many on a fraudulent basis and many not planning to leave at all. Now we know that the existing Liberal minister has no plan to get them out, despite meeting with the Prime Minister every week. Will he fire her for this immigration incompetence, or does he approve of it?

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Mark Carney

Liberal
“Our border agency is stopping people who should not enter Canada. It cancelled hundreds of visas linked to Iran's government and sent 22,000 people out of the country last year. We are in control of immigration.”

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Official Hansard

Mr. Speaker, the CBSA has reviewed over 17,000 applications for inadmissibility. It has opened over 170 investigations. It has cancelled 330 visas related to the Iranian regime. Last year, Canada removed 22,000 inadmissible individuals. The government is taking control of immigration.

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