Foreign Affairs Committee on Sept. 23rd, 2025

[Ziad Aboultaif, Conservative, Edmonton Manning, AB]

I'm not throwing this out to foreign affairs by intention but, as they represent Canada at the table, in order to figure out what we are going to do with financial aid, or whether we are going to participate with troops on the ground or even on a diplomatic mission.

How can the department have a lack of feedback on such an important thing, knowing that we are walking into fields full of mines? This is something that can be very disastrous for any mission to figure out, again, financially or otherwise.

[Mark Richardson]

Global Affairs Canada has been involved in an interdepartmental strategy to disrupt gangs with the RCMP, the Canadian Armed Forces and the Department of National Defence in order to carry out that strategy. It drew analysis from a Haiti-integrated intelligence cell with the intention of supporting the Haitian National Police to disrupt gangs in Haiti.

Of course, our international programming has also focused, in terms of international assistance, on interrupting sources of arms funding in Haiti as well. This is done predominantly through UNODC funding that we provided—UNODC being the UN Office of Drugs and Crime—as well as through training that we provided, which was funded through the International Organization on Migration for both training and equipment to help surveil criminal activities.

[Ziad Aboultaif, Conservative, Edmonton Manning, AB]

We know that on the expansion of the MSS to more of a permanent peacekeeping mission, Russia and China, as Security Council members, are not in agreement with this initiative.

Can you advise us on what Canada's position is?

[Mark Richardson]

My understanding is that within the UN Security Council, these discussions are ongoing in terms of the resolution, and that a vote will take place before the end of the month.

I'm not aware of all the various members' positions, but we understand that a variety of members have had questions and are in direct discussions with the United States on them. Not being a member of the UN Security Council, obviously, we do not have a vote, so we're not consulted directly in terms of how we would vote.

Certainly, we are engaged in full-on diplomatic efforts to try to encourage members to vote for the resolution, as we do feel that at this point in time it represents the best strategy going forward.

[Ziad Aboultaif, Conservative, Edmonton Manning, AB]

When my colleague, Mr. Brunelle-Duceppe, asked a question on whether the gang network in Haiti had any roots or branches in Canada, the answer was that it wasn't your department's...and that you refer to Public Safety in this regard.

Are we aware of any branches of these gangs outside Canada, in other countries that we know of or work with?

[Mark Richardson]

In a general sense, yes, we are aware that there are links among criminal networks across the region and across the world. Transnational crime is increasingly integrated, and we are aware of this in a general sense. In terms of specifics for Haitian gangs, I'll turn to my colleague Ian.

[Ian Myles]

I can't add too much to that.

Essentially, the links are growing among the Haitian gangs and pre-existing cartels in places like Colombia and Mexico. We know there is weapon trafficking going through the Dominican Republic. We've also been hearing reports of growing linkages with gangs in Jamaica. I don't see those as branches of Haitian gangs, but I believe there are linkages among separate gangs. Again, it speaks to this issue of the regional nature of the conflict and the spillover that's there. The chaos that exists in Haiti right now makes a very attractive base for international or transnational crime.

[Ziad Aboultaif, Conservative, Edmonton Manning, AB]

In our diplomatic mission, how well prepared are we to put on sanctions and go after countries that do support these gangs out there?

[Mark Richardson]

Up until this point, the sanctions that we have been putting in place with regard to Haiti have been targeted at Haitian individuals. As a country, we seek to align our sanctions policy with the United Nations. In terms of putting sanctions on other countries with regard to Haiti and the transnational crime organizations that are working there, I believe this is not something that has been discussed until this point.

[The Chair, Liberal, Ahmed Hussen]

Thank you very much, Mr. Aboultaif.

If all the members agree, I would like to have a five-minute question period. Is that fine with everyone?

[Some hon. members]

Agreed.

[The Chair, Liberal, Ahmed Hussen]

Thank you very much for your indulgence, colleagues.

I would like to begin by asking about the use of social media by some of the warlords, essentially broadcasting live the horrendous activities of extortion, violence and beheading people. To what extent do you believe that social media platforms can take more steps to prevent the warlords from profiting from those platforms?

[Mark Richardson]

It's an interesting question and not one that I've personally come across before. Obviously we are aware of how these warlords are using social media in order to get out their message for recruitment as well as to promote what they're doing. They also spread terror in order to increase their profile.

In terms of speaking with the actual social media organizations in order to control that, that is not something that I, as a witness, am best placed to speak to, unfortunately.

[The Chair, Liberal, Ahmed Hussen]

What I am specifically referring to, just as a clear example, is the use of Facebook Live having the main warlord performing violence and committing violence against civilians and using that platform repeatedly. I am concerned. There is a video of a beheading of a civilian by the warlord on Facebook Live. It's not once; it's not twice; it's a number of times. These social media platforms are being used to amplify fear and terrorize people. Again, you may not be tracking this, but is that something that the department is tracking?

[Mark Richardson]

Unfortunately, that is not something that I am able to comment on. If you would like us to take that back and consult within the department as to whether it is something that we as a department are tracking more broadly, we would be happy to do that.

[The Chair, Liberal, Ahmed Hussen]

My second question is on the Dominican Republic. How porous is that border with respect to guns being sent to Haiti through the Dominican Republic?

[Mark Richardson]

I'll pass the floor to my colleague Ian Myles.

[Ian Myles]

The border with the Dominican Republic is a long one and a difficult one to control. There's irregular movement of people but also of materials and illicit materials between them. This is a source of concern for both governments. We've been providing support through programs. One of our programs is the anti-crime capacity-building program that's been providing support to the border control agencies on the Haitian side to try to look at how to reduce that flow. It's very difficult because, as you know, traffic of weapons is linked to corruption and to lower-level law enforcement officers who are bought off by large sums. It's not an easy one to control. It is a challenging area, both in terms of migration as well as in arms trafficking.

[The Chair, Liberal, Ahmed Hussen]

I have a follow-up question.

Where are the guns or weapons coming from that transit through the Dominican to Haiti?

[Ian Myles]

I don't have detailed information. The understanding of most people working on the file is that the weapons are originally from the U.S. They're manufactured in the U.S. How they reach the Dominican Republic is something I'm less clear on, because the routes are not necessarily straightforward.

[The Chair, Liberal, Ahmed Hussen]

Is it your opinion, or the opinion of Mr. Richardson—this is a question for both of you—that the Dominican Republic can do more to interdict those weapons?

[Ian Myles]

I know that it has been a topic of discussion between our government and the Dominican Republic. They've definitely shared with us the efforts that they're making to strengthen their ability, particularly at their ports of entry, with additional scanners and things like that, to try to intercept it as it enters their borders. I'm afraid I don't have much more information to share at this point.

[The Chair, Liberal, Ahmed Hussen]

Thank you very much.

We now go to our fourth round of questions, starting with Mr. Majumdar.

[Shuv Majumdar, Conservative, Calgary Heritage, AB]

Thank you for this.

I want to pick up on this thread that has been raised by my colleagues, Mr. Brunelle-Duceppe and Mr. Aboultaif. You mentioned earlier, Mr. Richardson, that you don't have a good sense of the criminal activities in Haiti. I want to give you a chance to respond to that. Can you give me a portrait of the criminal activities that happen in Haiti as they relate to the politics and power structures of that country?

[Mark Richardson]

I didn't intend to give the impression that we, as a ministry, don't have a good understanding of that. I myself started in this job three weeks ago, so I'm learning as I go—on trial by fire, so to speak—but I'll turn to my colleague, Ian Myles, to cover that question.