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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

Lena Metlege Diab

Liberal

Linked statement

“We have an immigration plan that sets numbers for permanent residents. In 2024, Canada also added a plan for temporary residents.”

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Official Hansard

Mr. Chair, again, these are excellent questions, and they are ones that Canadians are asking me when I go to different provinces, and the territories that I went to as well. No, it is neither of those. It is the fact that we have a levels plan. The levels plan has a permanent resident number, but for the first time, in 2024, Canada introduced the temporary resident plan—

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Elizabeth May

Green
“I am worried that Canada is not living up to its reputation for helping others. Does the minister agree that we need to do more, and is there a plan and a timeline to fix this?”
Official Hansard

Mr. Chair, as the minister hears from every corner of the House, there is deep concern that her department is not delivering for the safety and security of Canadians, but my concern is far more that we are not delivering on our own reputation for being compassionate and humanitarian people. Will the minister agree that much more needs to be done, and is there a timeline and a strategy to deliver on these concerns?

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Lena Metlege Diab

Liberal
“We have a clear, open plan, and we are carrying it out. We will keep doing our best.”
Official Hansard

Mr. Chair, we definitely have a plan. We are definitely delivering on that plan. It has been transparent, it has been clear, and perhaps that is part of the reason there have been so many questions from Canadians. We have been so clear and so transparent, and it is different than in past years, and we will continue to do the best that—

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Elizabeth May

Green
“This spending plan is not enough. The minister needs to take this problem to the rest of the cabinet.”
Official Hansard

Mr. Chair, with all due respect, it is not adequate. If the main estimates discussion tonight ends up being a cry for help, that this is not adequate, that should be taken to the cabinet table. It is not adequate.

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Lena Metlege Diab

Liberal
“We are keeping our election promises. We plan to lower the number of temporary and permanent immigrants by 2027 while still bringing in skilled workers.”
Official Hansard

Mr. Chair, I appreciate my colleague’s opinion. We are working to deliver for Canadians, to fulfill the commitments we made in the election, to bring down the numbers of temporary and permanent residents in 2027 and to bring in talent.

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Jenny Kwan

NDP
“Cabinet must keep reviewing our border agreement with the United States. Has cabinet reviewed it since the U.S. started locking up many returned refugees without a judge, and deporting them to other countries?”
Official Hansard

Mr. Chair, there is a requirement for cabinet to ensure an ongoing review of the safe third country agreement. Has cabinet reviewed the safe third country agreement since the U.S. implemented mandatory detention without review by a judge for large categories of the refugee claimants returned to the U.S., third-country pass-through deportations and deportations under the dubious asylum co-operative agreements?

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Lena Metlege Diab

Liberal
“I respect the member's experience with immigration and politics. She asked a good question about our border agreement, and I want to finish answering it.”

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Official Hansard

Mr. Chair, I want to welcome my colleague to the discussion here tonight. She is my immigration critic, and I had a great discussion with her in the summer when we were talking about levels and everything else. I very much value her experience in immigration and also in politics, not just federally but provincially. The member does ask a good question on the STCA. Does she mind if I continue?

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Lena Metlege Diab

Liberal
“This is not a simple yes-or-no question. I am ready to answer it if the member wants.”
Official Hansard

Mr. Chair, it is not a yes-or-no question. I can answer that question if the member would like.

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Jenny Kwan

NDP
“I want the minister to give me a yes-or-no answer. Did the cabinet review this, or did they pass the decision down to someone else?”
Official Hansard

Mr. Chair, all the minister has to say is that, yes, they have reviewed it or no. If the cabinet has not, and it is a requirement of cabinet, can the minister confirm that the government has delegated it down with it going to cabinet when the circumstances warrant?

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Lena Metlege Diab

Liberal
“We watch what happens in the United States very closely to see how it affects our refugee system.”

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Official Hansard

Mr. Chair, we do monitor the U.S. We use a robust framework to continuously monitor U.S. developments and their impact on the refugee protection system.

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Jenny Kwan

NDP
“I want the minister to answer my question. Does the government track whether people Canada sends to the United States end up in immigration detention?”
Official Hansard

That is a no, then. Mr. Chair, is the minister maintaining data on ICE detention for individuals Canada transferred to U.S. authorities?

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Lena Metlege Diab

Liberal
“The department has strong rules in place. The department and its partners keep watching this closely.”

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Official Hansard

Mr. Chair, again, as I said, there is a robust framework. There is continuous monitoring by the department, but also by the partners that the department works with.

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Lena Metlege Diab

Liberal
“The immigration department works with other departments to monitor this, and we will keep doing that.”

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Official Hansard

Mr. Chair, as I said, IRCC monitors that with the partners we work with. It is not simply IRCC. There are other departments that it works with in order to monitor them, and we will continue to do that.

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Jenny Kwan

NDP
“The answer is still no. Is the minister tracking whether people sent back to the U.S. under our border deal are being sent to other countries, which breaks that deal? Has the minister asked the U.S. for proof that this is not happening to detainees?”
Official Hansard

And the answer is also no. Mr. Chair, is the minister monitoring the use of ACAs for individuals returned to the U.S. under the safe third country agreement in violation of the safe third country agreement? Has the minister requested assurances from the U.S. authorities that ACAs are not in use for detainees?

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Jenny Kwan

NDP
“130 Palestinian students have waited two years for Canadian study visas, but war makes it impossible to meet the requirements. Other countries let their students arrive first and do the security checks later. Will the minister do the same?”
Official Hansard

Mr. Chair, 130 highly qualified Palestinian postgrad students have waited for two years for their study visa with no decision or timeline. Many face requirements that are impossible to meet under the war conditions, including biometrics and extended security screening. France, Ireland, Belgium and Germany successfully evacuated students who received university scholarships without pre-departure biometrics. They granted emergency entry travel documents and deferred standard biometric collection. Will the minister do the same?

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Lena Metlege Diab

Liberal
“Students from Gaza use the same visa application as any other international student. But we have told our officials to process student visas for people in Gaza faster.”
Official Hansard

Mr. Chair, first let me say that when the member speaks of Gaza and the Middle East, my heart goes out to everyone there. Obviously, I know it is very difficult. When the member speaks of students, they all go through the same application as any international student. I can tell the member that we have directed officials to accelerate the student visa processing for people in Gaza, and I can confirm—

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Jenny Kwan

NDP
“How many names has the government sent to Israel and Egypt to help people leave Gaza under this program?”
Official Hansard

Mr. Chair, with the special immigration measure for Gazans to date, how many names has the government submitted to the governments of Israel and Egypt to request official exit clearance?

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Lena Metlege Diab

Liberal
“I do not have the information the member wants. I can say that, as of February 28, Canada approved about 1,360 Palestinians to come here, and about 985 have arrived through special programs.”
Official Hansard

Mr. Chair, I do not believe I can reply to that. I do not think I have what the member is asking for. I can tell the member that, as of February 28, approximately 1,360 Palestinians have been approved to come to Canada and approximately 985 people have arrived through the special measures.

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Jenny Kwan

NDP
“That did not answer my question. I want to know how many names were sent to officials in Israel and Egypt.”
Official Hansard

Mr. Chair, that was not my question. I am asking how many names have been submitted to the Israeli and Egyptian authorities. Maybe her officials can help her.

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Lena Metlege Diab

Liberal
“In 2024, the government made a plan to bring up to 5,000 extended family members of Canadians from Gaza to Canada temporarily.”

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Official Hansard

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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