Citizenship and Immigration Committee on Oct. 24th, 2023

[Alexis Brunelle-Duceppe, Bloc, Lac-Saint-Jean, QC]

Possibly.

[Marc Miller, Liberal, Ville-Marie—Le Sud-Ouest—Île-des-Soeurs, QC]

So I don't know what's happening, but we did our research and found that the contract had been arranged independently.

[Alexis Brunelle-Duceppe, Bloc, Lac-Saint-Jean, QC]

We're going to look into these donations to the Conservatives, because that's something I'm interested in as well.

So you don't know whether the Canadian government is still paying for the Roxham Road facilities, even though they are now closed. That's good to know.

Recently, Mr. Rodriguez, the Liberal Party of Canada's Quebec political lieutenant said that Quebec was controlling all of its temporary immigration. And yet, according to Quebec's Minister of Immigration, Ms. Christine Fréchette, “most temporary immigrants in Quebec come in under programs controlled entirely by the federal government”. She added that Quebec “only controls workers admitted under the temporary foreign worker program and foreign students”. It would appear that some workers also come in under the international mobility program, for which Quebec does not intervene in the bureaucratic immigration process.

I would just like to be clear on this: who is right, Mr. Rodriguez or the Quebec Minister of Immigration?

[Marc Miller, Liberal, Ville-Marie—Le Sud-Ouest—Île-des-Soeurs, QC]

The truth lies somewhere between the two. What's ironic is that during the COVID‑19 pandemic, when there was a shortage of foreign workers, the Bloc Québécois was the first party to ask for more.

The current discussion is about the volume of immigration and ways of reducing it. I think there's work to be done on our way of considering the value of these people and what they bring to Quebec, because—

[Alexis Brunelle-Duceppe, Bloc, Lac-Saint-Jean, QC]

I wasn't talking about anyone's value, but rather just asking whether it was Mr. Rodriguez or Ms. Fréchette who was right.

[Marc Miller, Liberal, Ville-Marie—Le Sud-Ouest—Île-des-Soeurs, QC]

My deputy minister can clarify things, but—

[Alexis Brunelle-Duceppe, Bloc, Lac-Saint-Jean, QC]

It's because that would get us into something else.

[Christiane Fox]

The short answer is that there are basically two temporary worker programs. Under the temporary foreign worker program, the provinces issue a nomination certificate to selected applicants. For the second program, the international mobility program, it's true that the federal government controls certain things.

I therefore think that both of the people mentioned are right, depending on the program under discussion.

[Alexis Brunelle-Duceppe, Bloc, Lac-Saint-Jean, QC]

All right. We'll have an interesting discussion about it with Mr. Rodriguez.

The CBC recently reported that there is a Mexican cartel problem at our borders. Is the Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship aware of this problem, and should something be done about visas for Mexican nationals?

[Marc Miller, Liberal, Ville-Marie—Le Sud-Ouest—Île-des-Soeurs, QC]

To begin with, Canada does not require Mexicans to have a visa. But then, whether or not a visa is required, we are always very much aware of potential criminality. There are certain facts I can't disclose publicly, but we are looking into them.

[Alexis Brunelle-Duceppe, Bloc, Lac-Saint-Jean, QC]

So we can discuss it privately.

[Marc Miller, Liberal, Ville-Marie—Le Sud-Ouest—Île-des-Soeurs, QC]

I don't know whether I would speak about it with you, but I am involved in private discussions.

[Alexis Brunelle-Duceppe, Bloc, Lac-Saint-Jean, QC]

In short, there are current concerns at the border with respect to Mexican cartels.

[Marc Miller, Liberal, Ville-Marie—Le Sud-Ouest—Île-des-Soeurs, QC]

There are concerns about all forms of criminality at the border.

[Alexis Brunelle-Duceppe, Bloc, Lac-Saint-Jean, QC]

But Mexican cartels at the border are a part of it, are they not?

[Marc Miller, Liberal, Ville-Marie—Le Sud-Ouest—Île-des-Soeurs, QC]

Yes, among others.

[Alexis Brunelle-Duceppe, Bloc, Lac-Saint-Jean, QC]

Thank you.

[The Chair, Liberal, Sukh Dhaliwal]

Are you done?

[Alexis Brunelle-Duceppe, Bloc, Lac-Saint-Jean, QC]

Not if you're willing to give me some more time.

[The Chair, Liberal, Sukh Dhaliwal]

Your time is up, Mr. Brunelle-Duceppe. Thank you.

One thing I mentioned earlier was, please, no cross talk. If you can go through the chair, I will be very happy to accommodate you fellows. You know my style, and I personally do not like the cross talk.

[Alexis Brunelle-Duceppe, Bloc, Lac-Saint-Jean, QC]

I apologize, Mr. Chair. But it's not often I get to discuss things with a minister who speaks French. Things certainly go more quickly when I can.

[Marc Miller, Liberal, Ville-Marie—Le Sud-Ouest—Île-des-Soeurs, QC]

I am nevertheless a menace in Quebec, but I don't know why.

[The Chair, Liberal, Sukh Dhaliwal]

Madam Kwan, the floor is yours.

[Jenny Kwan, NDP, Vancouver East, BC]

Thank you very much, Mr. Chair.

Thank you to the minister—congratulations, I think—and welcome to the officials.

With the devastating crisis in Gaza, Canadians are deeply worried about the safety of their loved ones. Some had applied for family reunification prior to the war. Will the minister expedite these applications and put in place measures to allow their extended family members to be part of those applications? Will the minister also automatically extend the visas for those who are already here?

[The Chair, Liberal, Sukh Dhaliwal]

Go ahead, Minister Miller.