Citizenship and Immigration Committee on Feb. 28th, 2024

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

It's an excellent question. It was one of my largest preoccupations.

First of all, doubling it was a no-brainer. We were just wildly under what internationally comparable countries had in place.

At the same time, when the recommendation came to me, I asked the department what we were going to do to make sure people from west Africa, for example, would not be unduly prejudiced by this type of decision. We are looking at a number of solutions to make sure people like these were not impacted by that decision.

It is no surprise that the diversity of the countries in question is rather limited. The main source country is one that, when you compare it to other countries in terms of the global middle class, does have an availability to mobilize money more easily than do other countries in which there are equally excellent students.

[Jenny Kwan, NDP, Vancouver East, BC]

Thank you, Mr. Chair.

I wonder if the minister can table to this committee the documentation that officials provided to him with respect to the unintended consequences of this policy, not just on the $20,000 issue but also on the other components within this announcement.

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

As the minister, I won't undertake to do it personally, but if the committee decides to so vote, we can look at that.

[Jenny Kwan, NDP, Vancouver East, BC]

All right. In that case, I will move a motion to ask the minister to table documents in relation to unintended consequences with relation to the international student announcement.

[The Chair, Liberal, Sukh Dhaliwal]

Your motion is in order.

We can stop the watch at two and a half minutes and we will start the debate on that motion.

[Jenny Kwan, NDP, Vancouver East, BC]

I just want to get the documents.

[The Chair, Liberal, Sukh Dhaliwal]

Mr. Redekopp, go ahead.

[Brad Redekopp, Conservative, Saskatoon West, SK]

Let's vote.

[The Chair, Liberal, Sukh Dhaliwal]

If there's no discussion, we'll go to a vote.

Mr. Clerk, could you call the vote, please?

[Salma Zahid, Liberal, Scarborough Centre, ON]

Can you please clarify what we are voting on?

[The Chair, Liberal, Sukh Dhaliwal]

There is a motion on the floor by Madam Kwan. She is asking for certain documents to be tabled by the minister, and the minister has said that if it is the will of the committee....

Madam Kwan, do you want to read the motion once more?

[Jenny Kwan, NDP, Vancouver East, BC]

I don't have it in writing. I just said the words, but it is along these lines: I'm asking for the minister to table with the committee documents from his department with regard to unintended consequences in relation to the international student announcement.

[The Chair, Liberal, Sukh Dhaliwal]

Thank you.

Mr. Clerk, please call the vote.

(Motion agreed to: 11 yeas; 0 nays [See Minutes of Proceedings])

Madam Kwan, you have 35 seconds. Please go ahead.

[Jenny Kwan, NDP, Vancouver East, BC]

Thank you very much. I appreciate that and I'll look forward to those documents.

The reason I asked for that information is that I wanted to see what work is going to be undertaken and needs to be undertaken to address this issue. I think those unintended consequences are serious.

With respect to that, there's another piece that is another unintended consequence. It is on the issue of students who are fleeing persecution, such as those from Afghanistan and other places. I know that there is a commitment from the government to facilitate education opportunities to them. This cap would mean that they would also be impacted.

Is that something the minister would take into consideration to address, so that those students would not be negatively impacted?

[The Chair, Liberal, Sukh Dhaliwal]

Give a brief answer, because the time is up.

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

Yes, that's absolutely one of the examples.

[The Chair, Liberal, Sukh Dhaliwal]

Thank you very much.

With that, I'm going to suspend the meeting.

It is my understanding that the minister is here until 6:15. Is that correct, Minister, or can you stay a bit longer?

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

I'm okay.

[The Chair, Liberal, Sukh Dhaliwal]

With that, then I will suspend the meeting and we will come back.

Once we come back, I want you to think about this: The honourable member from the Green Party had asked for unanimous consent to have one question of two minutes. Is there unanimous consent?

Go ahead, Madam Kwan.

[Jenny Kwan, NDP, Vancouver East, BC]

I just have a point of clarification.

The minister was meant to be here for 90 minutes. We were interrupted and started at least half an hour late because of votes. We're now interrupted again because of votes. I would have anticipated that with the 90-minute rotation, I would have had another opportunity with another rotation with the minister.

[The Chair, Liberal, Sukh Dhaliwal]

Once the meeting is suspended, we can talk about it and figure it out if you want.

[Jenny Kwan, NDP, Vancouver East, BC]

Yes, I would like to have another rotation, because I have more questions for the minister.

[The Chair, Liberal, Sukh Dhaliwal]

Now my question to the membership is this: As soon as we come back, is there unanimous consent for the honourable member from the Green Party to have two minutes?

[Jenny Kwan, NDP, Vancouver East, BC]

No, I'm sorry. We can't jump to having the Greens take a round without actually sorting out committee members getting their full round.

[The Chair, Liberal, Sukh Dhaliwal]

Sure. Okay.

I'm going to suspend the meeting. We'll come back.