Health Committee on Nov. 18th, 2025

[The Chair, Liberal, Hedy Fry]

Mr. Strauss, go ahead.

[Matt Strauss, Conservative, Kitchener South—Hespeler, ON]

Thank you, Chair.

Minister Diab, I had to check, because we all know you as the Minister of Immigration, but you are the minister responsible for refugees as well. I was dumbfounded when you said in the last round that you don't know what percentage of refugee claims are ultimately accepted.

[Lena Metlege Diab, Liberal, Halifax West, NS]

I do not. I can go on the website and check.

[Matt Strauss, Conservative, Kitchener South—Hespeler, ON]

Maybe you should.

[Lena Metlege Diab, Liberal, Halifax West, NS]

I'm sure one of my colleagues can do that. We can definitely follow up with you.

[Matt Strauss, Conservative, Kitchener South—Hespeler, ON]

Okay. I mean, that was 20 minutes ago.

When somebody's refugee claim is denied, do they continue to receive benefits from IFHP?

[Lena Metlege Diab, Liberal, Halifax West, NS]

No. It follows through the process. Once the process is concluded, it ends.

[Matt Strauss, Conservative, Kitchener South—Hespeler, ON]

Okay.

Turning to the visa trainee issue, do you understand how there's a difference between capacity and funding?

If there's an OR and there's a professor of anaesthesia in the OR, he can take a trainee. That trainee can either be from Saudi Arabia or they could be a Canadian. The funding might come from Saudi Arabia, and maybe we don't have the funding in Canada, but if the Saudi trainee is there, then the capacity to train someone exists in our system.

If the funds aren't there—and this might be for Minister Michel—don't you think we should fund it? The capacity is there and the training spot is there, whether it's part of CaRMS or it's not. Why don't we fund it instead of dictators in Saudi Arabia?

[Lena Metlege Diab, Liberal, Halifax West, NS]

I'm going to turn you to the medical schools, I guess, and the provinces and territories. It's not something that IRCC—

[Matt Strauss, Conservative, Kitchener South—Hespeler, ON]

They don't have the funding. You have the funding. You have the bags of money. You're the federal government.

You bring doctors to this country. They expect to work here. You're bringing them here to serve Canadians, and then you don't track whether they actually become doctors or not.

I understand that you don't, and you said you don't, but shouldn't you? Why don't you do it?

[Lena Metlege Diab, Liberal, Halifax West, NS]

I know from another hat that I wore in the province that the provinces track the doctors. I can say to you that the provinces and territories probably do, because I used to as a minister provincially, but it's not something IRCC tracks—

[Matt Strauss, Conservative, Kitchener South—Hespeler, ON]

But you're the one in charge of bringing them in—

[Lena Metlege Diab, Liberal, Halifax West, NS]

—and that is not the role.

[Matt Strauss, Conservative, Kitchener South—Hespeler, ON]

This committee heard from a constituent of mine, Dr. Pantea Barati. She feels cheated by the Canadian immigration system.

She was brought here to be a doctor. She's fully qualified. She flies to England to work every other month. Don't you feel any responsibility to her to figure out why you brought her here when she couldn't obtain a licence here and you're still giving out more of these immigration permits to thousands and thousands of doctors who aren't allowed to work?

[Lena Metlege Diab, Liberal, Halifax West, NS]

It's absolutely for reasons like that that we are working hard to ensure these types of things do not happen. That is why we have the pre-arrival support services. That is why we put up all the information. That is why we ask the individuals to clarify with licensing bodies and have the bodies work with them—

[Matt Strauss, Conservative, Kitchener South—Hespeler, ON]

Okay, thank you, Minister.

[Lena Metlege Diab, Liberal, Halifax West, NS]

—as well as the employers—

[Matt Strauss, Conservative, Kitchener South—Hespeler, ON]

You say you're working hard, but you're refusing to track—

[Lena Metlege Diab, Liberal, Halifax West, NS]

—and the hospitals—

[Sonia Sidhu, Liberal, Brampton South, ON]

On a point of order, Madam Chair—

[The Chair, Liberal, Hedy Fry]

Order. Order.

I'm sorry. This is getting a little bit out of order.

If someone asks a question, you should not keep speaking while they're answering it. Please, let's be a little bit respectful in this committee. Thank you.

Go ahead, Minister. You were answering the question.

[Lena Metlege Diab, Liberal, Halifax West, NS]

It's exactly the things you are referring to that we do not want to happen. That is why we work extremely hard, whether it's the provincial or the federal, to ensure that people have the tools they need and the information they need so that we don't have these things happen here.

When they do, yes, it is not....

[Matt Strauss, Conservative, Kitchener South—Hespeler, ON]

Thank you, Minister.

You're saying you're working hard—

[The Chair, Liberal, Hedy Fry]

Thank you. I'm sorry. Your time is well over, Mr. Strauss.

I will go to Ms. Sidhu of the Liberals for five minutes, please.

[Sonia Sidhu, Liberal, Brampton South, ON]

Thank you, Madam Chair.

Minister Michel, integration is not only about licensing but also about settlement, mentorship, mental health supports and opportunities for advancement, so how are your departments working together to ensure that internationally trained professionals receive coordinated support across the full integration pathway, from arrival to full practice?