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Business of Supply

This was a Committee of the Whole examination of the immigration minister’s spending plans, where Conservative members used their questions to press the Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship on asylum numbers, border screening, visa decisions, fraudulent immigration consultants, temporary foreign workers, and the removal of people with no legal status. The minister pointed to falling asylum claim numbers, cooperation with provinces to relocate refugees, enforcement actions including the removal of 23,000 people last year, and Bill C-12 as a measure to further reduce asylum claims. Liberal members also used some questions to highlight immigration’s economic benefits and summer jobs for youth.Written by AI from the debate. Updated .

Official text

248 statements

Lena Metlege Diab

Liberal
“Officials from Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps are not allowed into Canada. We are working with border agents to investigate these cases and take action.”

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Official Hansard

Mr. Chair, as I said, IRGC officials are inadmissible. Yes, we do work with the Minister of Public Safety and with CBSA. They are investigating all these cases. They will be taking action as required.

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Lena Metlege Diab

Liberal
“Officials from Iran's Revolutionary Guard are not allowed into Canada. Our ban on them is still in place.”

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Official Hansard

Mr. Chair, as I have been saying all along, if there are IRGC officials, they are not being admitted to Canada. There is a continuous ban that the government has taken. It is still in place.

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Lena Metlege Diab

Liberal
“Here are the facts. Officials reviewed 17,800 immigration applications to see if people should be kept out of Canada. They cancelled 239 visas, and border agents are currently investigating 176 cases.”

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Official Hansard

Mr. Chair, I will quote the numbers again. Members like numbers. There have been 17,800 applications reviewed for potential inadmissibility and 239 visas cancelled by IRCC, and there are 176 investigations ongoing with the CBSA.

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Lena Metlege Diab

Liberal
“If someone lies on their application, we have a process for that, and they can be deported.”
Official Hansard

Mr. Chair, if there has been misrepresentation, then there is a process and deportation is possible.

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Lena Metlege Diab

Liberal
“There are consequences for people who do not leave the country. Border officers have deported 23,000 people.”
Official Hansard

Mr. Chair, as I said, there are consequences for people who do not leave, and CBSA, as the Minister of Public Safety said today, has deported 23,000 people.

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Lena Metlege Diab

Liberal
“We work with the police and border officers to keep people safe. We are hiring 1,000 more staff to help them.”
Official Hansard

Mr. Chair, we work with partners in public safety, the RCMP and the CBSA. We have reinforced them. We are hiring 1,000 additional staff. We brought in various measures. I think Canadians in the community can feel safe.

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Lena Metlege Diab

Liberal
“We do security checks before people come to Canada and at every step of their application.”

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Official Hansard

Mr. Chair, there are security processes that take place prior to people’s coming into Canada, when they make application. There is ongoing security that happens at every stage of the process.

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Lena Metlege Diab

Liberal
“We cannot change that part of the law. It is not even in the act.”
Official Hansard

Mr. Chair, if I were not a lawyer who practised law for 22 years, I might fall into that trap. The point is, there is nothing to amend. It is not in the act.

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Lena Metlege Diab

Liberal
“Serious crimes must have serious consequences. This should apply to everyone in Canada, no matter who they are or what their legal status is.”
Official Hansard

Mr. Chair, serious crimes deserve serious consequences. It does not matter who criminals are and what status they have in Canada.

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Lena Metlege Diab

Liberal
“I disagree with the member. Under my watch, asylum claims are down, and there are fewer temporary foreign workers and international students. We have improved our system to bring in the skilled workers we need.”

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Official Hansard

Mr. Chair, I disagree with the member totally. If he really wants to look at my record, I am going to need a bit of time here, but asylum claims are down and temporary resident work permits and foreign students are down. Perhaps the member wants them at zero. I am not sure. Maybe he should be talking to his community. We have strengthened our program to attract the talent we need—

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Lena Metlege Diab

Liberal
“We are managing immigration to strengthen communities and protect our population. We are bringing in skilled tradespeople, helping rural areas, and bringing in more doctors and health workers quickly.”

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Official Hansard

Mr. Chair, I will continue on the fact that we are strengthening our communities. We are protecting our population. We are managing immigration. We are bringing in talented tradespeople, strengthening rural communities, attracting health workers, fast-tracking physicians and—

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Lena Metlege Diab

Liberal
“Criminals face consequences no matter their status, whether they are Canadian, temporary residents, or permanent residents.”
Official Hansard

Mr. Chair, criminals, regardless of their status, whether they are Canadian, temporary residents or permanent residents, face consequences.

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Lena Metlege Diab

Liberal
“Immigration law does not give criminals shorter sentences. Border officers still investigate cases and deport people.”
Official Hansard

Mr. Chair, there is nothing in the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act that reduces sentencing or disallows people from receiving it. CBSA investigates those cases, and deportations are conducted.

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Lena Metlege Diab

Liberal
“I am the immigration minister. The immigration law and rules do not allow what the member is talking about.”
Official Hansard

Mr. Chair, again, I am the immigration minister. I am looking at the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act and regulations. There is nothing in that document and in those rules that permits what the member is alluding to.

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Lena Metlege Diab

Liberal
“I would work with the member if her proposed law followed the Constitution. It does not. The Supreme Court ruled more than ten years ago that it goes against the Constitution.”

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Official Hansard

Mr. Chair, we would be glad to work with the member if the member would bring a law that is constitutional and within the law. That is not what the member did. Her law that she brought in was unconstitutional. The Supreme Court of Canada had ruled on that over a decade ago, that it is not within the Constitution.

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Lena Metlege Diab

Liberal
“The court said public safety comes first, and our government is following that rule. We hired more officers and will keep following our legal duties.”

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Official Hansard

Mr. Chair, the court clearly and unequivocally stated that public safety is paramount, and that is exactly what this government is doing. We have hired officers. We are complying with our obligations, and we will continue to do that. There is nothing in our law that offers otherwise.

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Lena Metlege Diab

Liberal
“My job is to manage immigration. We have clear rules and are honest with Canadians. Anyone who commits a serious crime will be punished, investigated, and deported.”

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Official Hansard

Mr. Chair, my role is to manage migration in Canada. We have clear rules. We are working. We have been transparent with Canadians. People who commit serious offences will be treated and should be treated seriously and sentenced. CBSA investigates and deports.

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Lena Metlege Diab

Liberal
“People who commit serious crimes should face serious consequences. Judges follow the law and the Constitution. The Supreme Court says the public's safety comes first.”

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Official Hansard

Mr. Chair, again, as I said, serious criminals deserve serious consequences. Judges are applying the law within the Constitution. The Supreme Court has said public interest is the top priority. That is our—

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Lena Metlege Diab

Liberal
“We need to focus on immigration tonight. Border services made 23,000 people leave Canada last year.”

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Official Hansard

Mr. Chair, again, let us bring it back to immigration and why we are here tonight. CBSA removed, as the public safety minister said today, 23,000 people last year.

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Lena Metlege Diab

Liberal
“Our government has introduced many crime bills to protect Canadians. The opposition has blocked every single one of them.”

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Official Hansard

Mr. Chair, for the benefit of the people listening, this government has brought in many pieces of legislation to protect Canadians, many pieces of crime legislation, and the opposition has been obstructing and has obstructed each and every one of them.

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