Translate Politics Parliament in plain language.

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
“The Auditor General's report confirmed that many actions taken by the immigration department worked very well.”

  • Reply to a debate question

    Relevance 49 of 100

    None of this reply addressed the specific point raised or the topic under debate.

    See full analysis
Official Hansard

Mr. Chair, in fact we spent standing committee meetings on the Auditor General’s report, which actually confirmed that a number of the actions that the IRCC department has taken were very effective.

View on ourcommons.ca View analysis

Brad Redekopp

Conservative
“The minister did not answer my question. Have new cases of fraud been found, and have any permits been cancelled because of it?”
Official Hansard

Mr. Chair, the minister still did not answer whether there have been new cases of fraud found. Have there been new fraud cases with permits that have been nullified?

View on ourcommons.ca View analysis

Lena Metlege Diab

Liberal
“The Auditor General found that ending the fast-track student visa program was the right choice. Ending it stopped a lot of bad behavior.”

  • Reply to a debate question

    Relevance 49 of 100

    None of this reply addressed the specific point raised or the topic under debate.

    See full analysis
Official Hansard

Mr. Chair, the Auditor General found that the cancellation of the student direct stream in 2024 was the right path to take. That has curbed all kinds of misconduct.

View on ourcommons.ca View analysis

Brad Redekopp

Conservative
“I want to know if the minister's department is investigating dishonest immigration consultants for fraud.”
Official Hansard

Mr. Chair, does the minister really believe that all fraud has been found by the Auditor General? It sounds like she is not looking for any more in her department. That seems like a very naive belief. Much of the fraud in Canada originates with unscrupulous immigration consultants. Has IRCC opened up investigations into immigration consultants for fraud?

View on ourcommons.ca Grade A– View analysis

Brad Redekopp

Conservative
“The government let Iranian regime terrorists enter Canada without checking them properly. I want the minister to tell us how many of these permits are now being reviewed.”
Official Hansard

However, Mr. Chair, it did not with immigration consultants, so I take it the minister has no concerns about immigration consultants. One category of people who did not have to enter fraudulently was IRGC terrorists. The government blindly approved these applications. How many permits have been flagged for review because of potential connections to IRGC regime officials?

View on ourcommons.ca Grade A+ View analysis

Lena Metlege Diab

Liberal
“We made stricter rules and added penalties for all our consultants.”

  • Reply to a debate question

    Relevance 49 of 100

    None of this reply addressed the specific point raised or the topic under debate.

    See full analysis
Official Hansard

Mr. Chair, let me go back to the member’s other question for a moment. We have tightened all kinds of rules and restrictions and have made penalties for all our consultants.

View on ourcommons.ca View analysis

Brad Redekopp

Conservative
“How many permits have been reviewed because of possible ties to the Iranian regime?”
Official Hansard

Mr. Chair, how many permits have been flagged for review because of potential connections to IRGC regime officials?

View on ourcommons.ca View analysis

Lena Metlege Diab

Liberal
“Members of Iran's Revolutionary Guard are banned from coming to Canada. That ban is still in place.”

  • Reply to a debate question

    Relevance 49 of 100

    None of this reply addressed the specific point raised or the topic under debate.

    See full analysis
Official Hansard

Mr. Chair, as we have said, IRGC officials are inadmissible to Canada. The government has put a ban on them, and that ban continues to be in place.

View on ourcommons.ca View analysis

Brad Redekopp

Conservative
“We know there are Iranian government officials in Canada. I want to know how many have been removed from the country.”
Official Hansard

Mr. Chair, how many of them have been removed? We know that there are IRGC officials in Canada.

View on ourcommons.ca View analysis

Lena Metlege Diab

Liberal

Linked statement

“Canada has cancelled 239 visas and border officers have carried out 176 investigations.”
Official Hansard

Mr. Chair, there have been 239 visas cancelled by IRCC and 176 investigations by the CBSA.

View on ourcommons.ca View analysis

Brad Redekopp

Conservative
“Canada has only removed one member of Iran's military guard. How can Iranian Canadians trust the minister to keep them safe?”
Official Hansard

Mr. Chair, at our last count, only one IRGC official has been removed. How can Persian Canadians living in fear trust the word of the minister?

View on ourcommons.ca View analysis

Lena Metlege Diab

Liberal
“Members of Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps are not allowed into Canada. Our government banned them, and that ban is still in place.”

  • Reply to a debate question

    Relevance 49 of 100

    None of this reply addressed the specific point raised or the topic under debate.

    See full analysis
Official Hansard

Mr. Chair, IRGC officials, as we have said, are inadmissible to Canada. It was the Liberal government that put that ban in place, and it continues to be there.

View on ourcommons.ca Grade B View analysis

Brad Redekopp

Conservative
“Up to 700 Iranian military officials are in Canada right now. Why is the government taking so long to remove them?”
Official Hansard

Mr. Chair, the minister well knows that IRGC officials are here in Canada right now. There are many of them, up to 700 according to some numbers. Why is the government slow-walking the removal of IRGC officials from Canada?

View on ourcommons.ca View analysis

Lena Metlege Diab

Liberal
“Iran's Revolutionary Guard officials are banned from Canada. Border officers work hard to kick them out, and we are giving police and border officers more money to do this.”

  • Reply to a debate question

    Relevance 100 of 100

    Of this reply, 100% addressed the question or point raised.

    See full analysis
Official Hansard

Mr. Chair, I am going to say it one more time: IRGC officials are inadmissible to Canada. There is a ban in place. CBSA works forcefully to remove them, and we are investing in our policing and our officers to do exactly that.

View on ourcommons.ca Grade A View analysis

Brad Redekopp

Conservative
“Liberals voted against our plan to add security screening to the citizenship bill. Is the minister worried this bill will let terrorists become Canadian citizens?”
Official Hansard

Mr. Chair, in Bill C-3, Conservatives wanted to add security screening provisions, but Liberals voted no. Is the minister concerned that her chain migration bill will allow terrorists to gain Canadian citizenship?

View on ourcommons.ca View analysis

Lena Metlege Diab

Liberal
“The Conservatives disagree, but our bill protects the value of Canadian citizenship.”
Official Hansard

Mr. Chair, I think the Conservatives have a real problem with this. I just want to say that the government has acted to protect the value of citizenship by passing this piece of legislation and ensuring that people value our citizenship and our Canadian—

View on ourcommons.ca View analysis

Brad Redekopp

Conservative
“The minister said that people who get citizenship through their parents never needed security checks. Does she still stand by that?”
Official Hansard

Mr. Chair, the minister told committee that citizenship by descent has never required security screening. Does she still defend that?

View on ourcommons.ca View analysis

Lena Metlege Diab

Liberal
“Our bill makes sure that people cannot pass down Canadian citizenship to children born outside Canada forever. It sets clear, controlled rules for who can inherit citizenship.”

  • Reply to a debate question

    Relevance 48 of 100

    None of this reply addressed the specific point raised or the topic under debate.

    See full analysis
Official Hansard

Mr. Chair, again, what we did in this piece of legislation was ensure that citizenship by descent cannot be passed on indefinitely. We have provided clarity, we have provided structure, and we have provided control to citizenship by descent.

View on ourcommons.ca View analysis

Brad Redekopp

Conservative
“Should an adult be allowed to get citizenship through family ancestry without a criminal background check?”
Official Hansard

Mr. Chair, should an adult claiming citizenship through distant ancestry become a citizen without a criminality check?

View on ourcommons.ca View analysis

Lena Metlege Diab

Liberal
“Anyone can say they are related to a Canadian citizen. But they must prove their family connection at every step.”

  • Reply to a debate question

    Relevance 49 of 100

    None of this reply addressed the specific point raised or the topic under debate.

    See full analysis
Official Hansard

Mr. Chair, anybody can claim anything. However, there is a requirement that proof of ancestry at every chain must be established.

View on ourcommons.ca View analysis

Discussion

No comments yet

See the full discussion

Comment rules

More from sitting 124

All 43 items ·
  1. Government Orders Business of Supply 114 statements
  2. Oral Questions Foreign Investment 13 statements
  3. Oral Questions Justice 6 statements
  4. Oral Questions Canadian Identity and Culture 6 statements
  5. Oral Questions The Economy 4 statements
  6. Oral Questions The Environment 4 statements
  7. Oral Questions Finance 6 statements
  8. Oral Questions Agriculture and Agri-Food 4 statements
  9. Oral Questions Steel and Aluminum Industry 2 statements
  10. Oral Questions Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship 6 statements
  11. Oral Questions Aerospace Industry 8 statements
  12. Oral Questions International Trade 2 statements
  13. Oral Questions Seniors 4 statements
  14. Oral Questions Public Safety 6 statements
  15. Oral Questions Oil and Gas Industry 3 statements
  16. Oral Questions Labour 2 statements
  17. Oral Questions Climate Change 2 statements
  18. Oral Questions Air Transportation 2 statements
  19. Oral Questions Business of the House 2 statements
  20. Government Orders Business of Supply 66 statements
  21. Oral Questions Health 4 statements
  22. Private Members' Business Canada Revenue Agency Act 12 statements
  23. Adjournment Proceedings Adjournment Proceedings 4 statements
  24. Adjournment Proceedings Adjournment Proceedings 4 statements
  25. Adjournment Proceedings Adjournment Proceedings 4 statements
  26. Government Orders Business of Supply 462 statements