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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

Linked statement

“Quebec takes in almost 39% of all asylum seekers in Canada, but only has 22% of the country's population. I want to know if the minister agrees that asylum seekers should be shared fairly among all provinces.”
Official Hansard

Mr. Chair, Quebec is a welcoming place. Quebeckers are welcoming. We understand that we have a duty of solidarity toward asylum seekers. We also understand that asylum seekers and those who become refugees are an asset and that they contribute to Quebec. Figures released this morning clearly show that this is still the case. Quebeckers are taking in a very large proportion of asylum seekers. I would say that this is a disproportionate share relative to their weight within the Canadian federation. As of April 1, 2026, while Quebeckers make up 22% of the Canadian population, nearly 39% of all asylum seekers in Canada are in Quebec. Does the minister agree in principle that asylum seekers should be distributed fairly among Canada’s provinces?

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Lena Metlege Diab

Liberal
“Quebec has played a big role in welcoming asylum seekers. Asylum claims have dropped by 71% compared to 2024. Canada has given Quebec over $1.1 billion since 2019 to help with these costs, and we are still working closely with the province.”

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Official Hansard

Mr. Chair, I will start from the beginning. First, as I mentioned, we fully recognize the important role Quebec has played in welcoming asylum seekers over recent years. There is one very important point—in fact, there are several—and that is that applications have fallen by 71% compared to 2024. Furthermore, since 2019, Quebec has received over $1.1 billion to help cover the costs associated with asylum seekers. We are in constructive discussions with our counterparts in the Quebec government, and we will continue to work with them under the Canada–Quebec accord.

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Alexis Deschênes

Bloc Québécois
“I want to know if the minister thinks asylum seekers should be shared fairly among the provinces.”
Official Hansard

Mr. Chair, does the minister agree that it is appropriate for the number of asylum seekers to be distributed fairly among Canada’s provinces?

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Lena Metlege Diab

Liberal
“We started talking with the provinces about this. New Brunswick and Newfoundland and Labrador have agreed to take in some refugees.”
Official Hansard

Mr. Chair, we began this dialogue during our meeting with the other provinces. I can say that New Brunswick and Newfoundland and Labrador have agreed to take in a number of refugees.

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Alexis Deschênes

Bloc Québécois
“I want to know if the minister agrees that asylum seekers should be shared fairly across all provinces.”
Official Hansard

Mr. Chair, does the minister agree in principle that it is appropriate to distribute asylum seekers fairly across Canada’s various provinces?

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Lena Metlege Diab

Liberal
“I am working with immigration ministers across Canada on this, and our talks are ongoing.”

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Official Hansard

Mr. Chair, as I have already said, I am working closely with the ministers responsible for immigration in all the provinces and territories. This is an ongoing discussion.

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Alexis Deschênes

Bloc Québécois
“I want to know if the minister agrees that asylum seekers should be shared fairly among all the provinces.”
Official Hansard

Mr. Chair, I understand that this is a conversation and that the government has already paid Quebec compensation for its efforts. My question for the minister is the same. Does she agree in principle on the need for equitable distribution among the provinces?

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Lena Metlege Diab

Liberal
“New Brunswick's immigration minister is setting a good example for others to follow.”

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Official Hansard

Mr. Chair, as I said before, we have some good examples. New Brunswick’s immigration minister has set an example for all other ministers that it is—

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Alexis Deschênes

Bloc Québécois
“I want the minister to answer a simple question. Does she agree that asylum seekers should be shared among all the provinces?”
Official Hansard

Mr. Chair, I would like the minister to answer this very simple question. I understand that conversations are going on and that there may be some shining examples. However, does she agree with the principle that asylum seekers have to be distributed among the various Canadian provinces?

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Lena Metlege Diab

Liberal
“We are talking with Newfoundland and Labrador and New Brunswick, and some refugees are already moving there. We are still working with both provinces.”

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Official Hansard

Mr. Chair, as I was saying, discussions are under way and some refugees are already moving to Newfoundland and Labrador and New Brunswick. We are still working with these provinces.

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Alexis Deschênes

Bloc Québécois
“I want the minister to answer the question. Does she agree that asylum seekers should be shared fairly across provinces based on population?”
Official Hansard

Mr. Chair, can the minister answer the question? Does she agree that the number of asylum seekers should be distributed fairly among Canada’s provinces based on their population?

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Lena Metlege Diab

Liberal
“We are working with the provinces and territories to reach that goal.”
Official Hansard

Mr. Chair, we are working with the provinces and territories on achieving that objective.

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Alexis Deschênes

Bloc Québécois
“The minister supports sharing asylum seekers fairly across all provinces. I want to know what she is doing to make that happen.”
Official Hansard

Mr. Chair, I understand that the minister is working toward the objective of distributing asylum seekers fairly among the various provinces and, therefore, that she supports this principle. Now, what steps is she taking to achieve this?

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Lena Metlege Diab

Liberal
“A committee is studying this issue right now. I look forward to seeing their results.”

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Official Hansard

Mr. Chair, I will answer in English. As I understand it, right now at the Standing Committee on Citizenship and Immigration, there is an ongoing study about that. I very much look forward to receiving the results of that study.

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Alexis Deschênes

Bloc Québécois
“Taking in many asylum seekers costs money, and many arriving in Quebec struggle to learn French. Will the minister restart the committee meant to share asylum seekers more fairly across the provinces?”
Official Hansard

Mr. Chair, I understand from the minister’s response that she supports this objective of distributing asylum seekers fairly. That goes without saying, because, obviously, the more asylum seekers we have, the higher the costs to the public treasury. In Quebec, there is also the challenge of integration in French. According to the French language commissioner, between 33% and 40% of asylum seekers arriving in Quebec have difficulty mastering the French language. Does the minister plan to revive the committee that was established in 2024 to work toward a better distribution among the provinces?

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Lena Metlege Diab

Liberal
“Applications are down by 71% compared to 2024. We have also spent more than $1.1 billion on this since 2019.”

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Official Hansard

Mr. Chair, the good news is that applications are down by 71% compared to 2024. I see that as positive. Also, as I already said, we have provided over $1.1 billion since 2019.

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Alexis Deschênes

Bloc Québécois
“Quebec still has 39% of Canada's asylum seekers. Will the minister admit that her plan to share them fairly has failed?”
Official Hansard

Mr. Chair, the minister recognizes that it is important to distribute asylum seekers fairly. She is working towards that objective. However, the figures show that, as of April 1, Quebec is still home to 39% of all asylum seekers in Canada. Will she acknowledge that, so far, this plan has failed?

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Lena Metlege Diab

Liberal
“We have been working hard. The number of asylum seekers in Quebec and across Canada has dropped a lot over the last two years.”
Official Hansard

Mr. Chair, we have been working hard to get things done. The number of asylum seekers in Quebec, and indeed across Canada, has dropped significantly in the past two years.

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Alexis Deschênes

Bloc Québécois
“Asylum claims are dropping, but Quebec still takes in almost 39% of asylum seekers while making up only 22% of Canada's population. I want the minister to admit her plan has failed.”
Official Hansard

Mr. Chair, the number of asylum seekers does indeed appear to be falling, but the distribution remains as unfair as ever. Quebec receives 38.78% of all asylum seekers, even though it accounts for just 22% of the Canadian population. Will the minister acknowledge to the House that, so far, her efforts have failed?

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Lena Metlege Diab

Liberal
“I completely disagree. In the year since I became minister, numbers have dropped a lot because of the work we have done.”
Official Hansard

Mr. Chair, I wholeheartedly disagree. In the 12 months since I became the minister, there has been a significant reduction and we have done a lot of things for that.

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