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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

462 statements

Alexis Deschênes

Bloc Québécois
“Asylum seekers are still not being shared fairly across the country. I want to know if the former minister failed to fix this problem.”
Official Hansard

Mr. Chair, the distribution of asylum seekers is still just as inequitable as it was when the minister got the job. Is she telling us that Mr. Miller, her predecessor, was unable to solve the problem—

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Alexis Deschênes

Bloc Québécois
“Does the minister admit that the government's work has failed, things are still not shared fairly, and the last minister did a bad job?”
Official Hansard

Mr. Chair, does the minister acknowledge that efforts to date have not borne fruit, that the distribution is still inequitable and that her predecessor failed to meet expectations?

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Lena Metlege Diab

Liberal
“Two provinces, Newfoundland and Labrador and New Brunswick, help asylum seekers move to their provinces voluntarily through federal housing agreements.”

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Official Hansard

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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Alexis Deschênes

Bloc Québécois
“I want the minister to explain why asylum seekers are still not being shared fairly among the provinces.”
Official Hansard

Mr. Chair, how does the minister explain that, despite her efforts and the voluntary action of some provinces, the distribution of asylum seekers is still so unfair in Canada?

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Lena Metlege Diab

Liberal
“Our plan is working. Asylum claims in Quebec have dropped by 71 percent. Passing this bill will help even more.”
Official Hansard

Mr. Chair, we have seen successes. I have already said that there has been a 71% decrease in asylum claims in Quebec. With the passage of Bill C‑12, we are also going to see more—

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Alexis Deschênes

Bloc Québécois
“Quebec has only 22 percent of Canada's people, but takes in nearly 39 percent of all asylum seekers. How can the minister say this system is working?”
Official Hansard

Mr. Chair, how can the minister call the current situation a success, when Quebec represents 22% of Canada’s population but accepts 38.78% of all asylum seekers in Canada?

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Lena Metlege Diab

Liberal
“People in Quebec are very welcoming, and I thank them. But the federal government has done its part too.”

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Official Hansard

Mr. Chair, I want to say a few words about the people of Quebec. They are very welcoming people, and we thank them all. However, the federal government has also done its part and—

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Alexis Deschênes

Bloc Québécois
“Quebec still takes in almost twice its share of asylum seekers based on its population. I want to know why the minister calls this a success.”
Official Hansard

Mr. Chair, how can the minister call a situation that has not improved a success? Quebeckers still receive nearly twice as many asylum seekers as they should, given their demographic weight within Canada.

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Lena Metlege Diab

Liberal
“We have cut down the number of asylum seekers, and we are working more closely with the provinces and territories to settle them.”
Official Hansard

Mr. Chair, as I have already said, we have significantly reduced the number of asylum seekers and we are working harder with the provinces and territories to resettle them as well.

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Alexis Deschênes

Bloc Québécois

Linked statement

“The minister says our asylum system works well, but it does not. Quebec is still taking in far more than its fair share of asylum seekers.”
Official Hansard

Mr. Chair, the number of asylum seekers is one thing. The distribution of asylum seekers across Canada is another. How can the minister say today that this is a success when the situation has not changed, and Quebec continues to take in a disproportionate share of asylum seekers relative to its demographic weight within the Canadian federation?

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Lena Metlege Diab

Liberal
“I work with Quebec on this issue and many others all the time.”

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Official Hansard

Mr. Chair, I work with Quebec all the time on this issue, as well as on many others.

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Alexis Deschênes

Bloc Québécois
“I want the minister to explain how the government has succeeded at sharing asylum seekers fairly across Canada.”
Official Hansard

Mr. Chair, I would ask the minister to explain where the success is when it comes to the equitable distribution of asylum seekers.

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Lena Metlege Diab

Liberal
“The number of asylum seekers in Quebec dropped by 71% in the last two years. We are working with other provinces and giving them federal money so refugees can move there instead.”
Official Hansard

Mr. Chair, indeed, the number of asylum seekers has been reduced in Quebec by 71% in the last two years. We have also worked with provinces and territories. We will continue to do that to ensure that refugees are able to go to other provinces, with the help of the provinces and territories and the financial assistance of the Government of Canada.

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Alexis Deschênes

Bloc Québécois
“The minister says she wants to share asylum seekers fairly across Canada, but that is not happening. Quebec has 22% of Canada's population, but it takes in more than 38% of all asylum seekers. I want to know why she thinks that is a success.”
Official Hansard

Mr. Chair, the minister tells us that she believes in the goal that is the equitable distribution of asylum seekers. She even tells us that it is a success. She explains that the number of asylum seekers is decreasing, which does not answer the question. The question is that there is currently an inequitable distribution of asylum seekers and that Quebec receives more than 38% of all asylum seekers while accounting for only 22% of the population. Where does the minister see success in that?

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Lena Metlege Diab

Liberal
“Quebec has received more than $1.1 billion to help cover the costs of asylum seekers. We have also continued to work with other provinces on sharing this responsibility.”
Official Hansard

Mr. Chair, the point here is that Quebec has received more than $1.1 billion to help cover the costs associated with asylum seekers. Since 2019, we have continued to work with the other provinces on distribution.

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Alexis Deschênes

Bloc Québécois
“The minister needs to admit that nothing has improved and the situation is still just as bad as it was in 2024.”
Official Hansard

Mr. Chair, should the minister not acknowledge that there has been no progress and that the situation is still as bad as it was in 2024?

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Lena Metlege Diab

Liberal
“We are waiting for the committee to finish studying this issue and share its report.”
Official Hansard

Mr. Chair, as I have already said, we are awaiting the report from the committee, which is currently examining this very issue.

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Alexis Deschênes

Bloc Québécois
“Does the minister know that Germany, Denmark, and the European Union have rules to share asylum seekers among different places?”
Official Hansard

Mr. Chair, is the minister aware that, within the European Union, in Germany, and also in Denmark, procedures for the distribution of asylum seekers have been put in place?

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Lena Metlege Diab

Liberal
“I talked with leaders from several countries at the United Nations this month, and we are still doing this work.”

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Official Hansard

Mr. Chair, I have already spoken with representatives from several countries while I was at the United Nations headquarters this month. Our work continues.

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Alexis Deschênes

Bloc Québécois
“Will the minister look at how Europe shares the responsibility of housing asylum seekers?”
Official Hansard

Mr. Chair, does the minister intend to draw on practices in Europe, in particular, to establish a process for the distribution of asylum seekers?

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