Citizenship and Immigration Committee on Dec. 4th, 2025

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

They're also for treating people with diseases. I think—

[Michelle Rempel, Conservative, Calgary Nose Hill, AB]

No. I want to be clear here. We've tried to pass measures to restrict.... If somebody has a failed asylum claim—it's bogus—they should be deported rather than get benefits.

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

That's exactly what we're doing. We're introducing measures to ensure that speeds up and is exactly what happens.

[Michelle Rempel, Conservative, Calgary Nose Hill, AB]

Yes, but you're still giving them benefits, so why would they leave? You're allowing them to endlessly appeal. This is crazy.

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

The measures we're putting in would curb all of that.

[Michelle Rempel, Conservative, Calgary Nose Hill, AB]

Okay.

Why are you still giving TFW work permits to fast-food restaurants in major urban centres? That's crazy.

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

As I explained before, ESDC goes through and decides where we have labour gaps. The businesses getting them have to go through an LMIA—

[Michelle Rempel, Conservative, Calgary Nose Hill, AB]

Did you tell Patty that you're a little uncomfortable issuing these permits? Did you say we have a 20% youth jobs crisis so you are not going to give Tim Hortons in urban centres work permits and that we should change the program? Have you said that to your colleague?

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

Any employer who receives them goes through a strenuous process where they have to show they cannot find.... It's 1% of our target.

[Michelle Rempel, Conservative, Calgary Nose Hill, AB]

There's a lot of fraud in that. I have a hard time believing that a fast-food restaurant in downtown Toronto needs a TFW for basic work.

Have you made any effort to close the program off? Have you said, “Hey, maybe we should bet on Canadian kids and scrap the program”?

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

We're always betting on Canadian kids. That's why we have what we have.

[Michelle Rempel, Conservative, Calgary Nose Hill, AB]

I don't think you are.

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

In terms of facts, there's a 70% decrease in temporary foreign worker permits in low-wage industries.

[The Chair, Liberal, Julie Dzerowicz]

That is the time.

Thank you, Ms. Rempel Garner, and thank you, Minister Diab.

Colleagues, I'm going to ask again for you to please direct your questions and comments through the chair.

Next we have five minutes for Ms. Zahid.

[Salma Zahid, Liberal, Scarborough Centre—Don Valley East, ON]

Through you, Chair, I would like to talk about the caregiver programs, in particular the out-of-status caregivers. These are the people who came to Canada legally to care for our families and to take care of our loved ones. They are contributing to our economy and our country, and they are paying their taxes.

Through no fault of their own, because of employer issues or program changes, they have fallen out of status. The caregiver community has called for amnesty for these people, similar to how the last government provided amnesty to out-of-status construction workers.

Will you commit to working with the community to design such a program?

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

I have met, I have heard from and I have seen in my lifetime a lot of people who are in the caregiving industry. We appreciate their services—as individuals who live in our communities but also as government. They are critical to our economy and also to the livelihoods of many Canadian citizens.

We will continue to work with them to see where we are and what we can do on that level. I can't promise you anything today, but I will promise to take that back and take a look to see where we are in that system.

I do know that we have a levels plan. We will continue to do that. There are also levels.... We continue to, within those levels, pull different people from different categories.

[Salma Zahid, Liberal, Scarborough Centre—Don Valley East, ON]

Over the last few years, starting in 2019, we have launched different caregiver programs, and these have been temporary. What would you say with regard to having a permanent caregiver program for the people who are coming to take care of our loved ones? Having a good caregiver assures many mothers that they can go out and work. Once we know that someone is taking care of our elderly—our parents and grandparents—we can go out and work without thinking of them. I think there needs to be stability for them.

What would you say with regard to a permanent program for caregivers?

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

The department has, in 2025, a pilot, which you probably are very well aware of, called the home care worker immigration pilot. It is in its first year in 2025, so we'll see how that goes. The department will assess it.

What I can tell you is that over the past decade, over 114,800 home care workers and family members have been admitted as permanent residents through the caregiver programs that you've indicated. There have been a number of them over the years.

[Salma Zahid, Liberal, Scarborough Centre—Don Valley East, ON]

Thank you.

How much time do I have?

[The Chair, Liberal, Julie Dzerowicz]

You have a minute and a half.

[Salma Zahid, Liberal, Scarborough Centre—Don Valley East, ON]

Minister, I'd also like to turn to the Hong Kong pathway program.

I have many constituents who are members of the Hong Kong community and are concerned about the delays in processing their permanent residency applications. They have come to Canada through this important program, and they want to build their lives here, contribute to our economy and put down roots. The lengthy delays have them feeling unsettled, and some are considering moving to other countries, such as the United Kingdom.

Could you please share what your department is doing to address these delays in the Hong Kong pathway program?

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

Ms. Zahid, I want to thank you this afternoon. You are bringing to light many issues that Canadians are concerned about and that people who are here in this country are concerned about.

The fact is that there are many...and Hong Kong is one of them. Canada continues to stand by the people of Hong Kong, and we support their human rights and freedoms.

There are a number of measures that Canada has implemented, including two pathways that were introduced in 2021 for Hong Kong residents in Canada temporarily who obtained recent post-secondary education or work experience. Those who have applied under these pathways can apply for an open work permit while they wait for their permanent resident application to be processed.

We have two permanent residence pathways for Hong Kong residents.

[The Chair, Liberal, Julie Dzerowicz]

Thank you, Minister. I'm sorry to cut you off, but that's time.

Thank you, Ms. Zahid.

Next we go to Monsieur Brunelle-Duceppe.

You have the floor for two and a half minutes.

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

Thank you, Madam Chair.

Minister, we agree that the issue of asylum claims is solely under federal jurisdiction.

Right?

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

Yes.