Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship

During question period on immigration, Conservative members asked whether federal money is being used to fund municipalities buying hotels to house asylum seekers, calling it wasteful during a recession and asking the minister to admit the government pays for the hotels. A Conservative member also asked why 74,000 rejected asylum claimants remain in Canada receiving coverage under the interim federal health program, and when they would be deported. Liberal members replied that hotels are no longer used to house refugee claimants, that the government is working with municipalities on longer-term housing supports, and that the interim federal health program has existed since the 1950s with support from both parties, covering a small share of the population at a small share of health spending.Written by AI from the debate. Updated .

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3 statements

Fred Davies, Niagara South

Conservative
“Cities like Ottawa and Pickering are using public money to buy hotels to house asylum seekers. With Canada in a recession, I want the minister to admit that the government is paying for these hotels.”
  • A repeated line

    “Why is Canada the only G7 country in a recession?”

    Said 16 times by 13 members since May 29.

    Every time it was said
Official Hansard

Mr. Speaker, last night, the Minister of Immigration tried to dodge a very simple question. When asked whether taxpayer dollars are being used to buy hotels for asylum claimants, she attempted to rebrand them as “reception centres”. Canadians know the facts. Municipalities like Ottawa and Pickering have already used millions of dollars in public funds to purchase hotels to house asylum claimants. Changing the label does not change the reality. With Canada now the only G7 country in a recession, will the minister stop hiding behind bureaucratic language and finally confirm the Liberals are funding municipalities to purchase hotels for asylum claimants?

Fred Davies, Niagara South

Conservative
“The government is wasting millions of dollars helping cities buy hotels for asylum seekers during a recession. I want the minister to answer directly: is the government paying cities to buy these hotels?”
  • A repeated line

    “Why is Canada the only G7 country in a recession?”

    Said 16 times by 13 members since May 29.

    Every time it was said
Official Hansard

Mr. Speaker, with Canada now the only G7 country in a recession, Canadians cannot understand why the government continues wasting millions of dollars through government programs that fund municipalities to buy hotels for asylum claimants. A hotel does not stop being a hotel because the Liberals rename it a “reception centre”. Canadians are tired of political spin and word games, as families struggle with rising costs and economic uncertainty. Will the minister stop misleading Canadians and answer a question directly? Is the Liberal government funding municipalities to buy hotels for asylum claimants?

Burton Bailey, Red Deer

Conservative
“There are 74,000 rejected refugee claimants still in Canada getting free health care that Canadians do not get. When will the government stop paying for their health care and deport them?”
  • A repeated line

    “Canada is the only G20 country in a recession.”

    Said 104 times by 61 members since May 29.

    Every time it was said
Official Hansard

Mr. Speaker, 74,000 rejected asylum claimants still in Canada whom the government refuses to deport are under the bloated interim federal health program. The Liberals rejected them for a reason. While Canada is the only G7 country in a recession, these fraudsters still get taxpayer-funded health care, such as physio and counselling, but Canadians do not. End the handouts, and the fraudsters will go. When will the Liberal government cut the supplementary health care handout for fake refugee fugitives and finally deport them?

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