Public Safety Committee on Sept. 25th, 2018

[Bill Blair]

I believe you might have heard someone else say that. I said our goal is to eliminate irregular migration.

[Leona Alleslev, Conservative, Aurora—Oak Ridges—Richmond Hill, ON]

Just a moment ago you said that. You said zero.

Exactly how many people who have illegally crossed into Canada and claimed asylum have been removed from Canada?

[Bill Blair]

They are all entitled, as I've indicated, to lawful due process. There is a backlog. We've actually put $173 million, including $74 million into IRB to increase their capacity to deal with that backlog. We also have a significant—

[Leona Alleslev, Conservative, Aurora—Oak Ridges—Richmond Hill, ON]

Not the backlog.... How many have been removed?

[Bill Blair]

From which group? We have been removing people as a result of those IRB hearings.

[Leona Alleslev, Conservative, Aurora—Oak Ridges—Richmond Hill, ON]

Of the irregular border crossers who have gone through the process, how many have been removed?

[Bill Blair]

That surge actually began in 2017, and the vast majority of those people are still in the process of having their eligibility to remain in Canada determined.

[Leona Alleslev, Conservative, Aurora—Oak Ridges—Richmond Hill, ON]

In French, if I could—

[Bill Blair]

When that is completed, then it is the role of CBSA to effect an orderly removal.

[Leona Alleslev, Conservative, Aurora—Oak Ridges—Richmond Hill, ON]

You don't have a number.

After saying that the overwhelming majority of immigrants had left the country, you backed down and admitted that you had misspoken. Now we learn that only six individuals have been subject to a removal order.

How many immigrants have been deported, exactly?

[Bill Blair]

First of all, if I may just clarify with respect to refugee claimants, in 2017-18, the CBSA removed a total of 4,184 failed refugee claimants. Of these, 124—

[Leona Alleslev, Conservative, Aurora—Oak Ridges—Richmond Hill, ON]

That's not what I said. I said, how many of the irregular border crossers have been removed?

[Bill Blair]

Thank you for the opportunity to answer that question.

Of these, 124 were irregular migrants who have been removed.

[Leona Alleslev, Conservative, Aurora—Oak Ridges—Richmond Hill, ON]

The number is 124 since when, Minister?

[Bill Blair]

In the fiscal year 2017-18....

[Leona Alleslev, Conservative, Aurora—Oak Ridges—Richmond Hill, ON]

Minister, it sounds like the costs of irregular crossings to taxpayers are mounting.

If we tally the costs that taxpayers are being asked to foot the bill for, there's the cost of you, a new minister, to deal with irregular border crossing. There's the cost of additional police and IRB processing to address the increase in volume and the backlog. There's the cost of hotel rooms and social support services to support these individuals for an indefinite period of time.

Has the Prime Minister given you a blank cheque to charge Canadians an unlimited and undefined amount, rather than addressing and eliminating the issue of irregular border crossing?

[Bill Blair]

No, Ms. Alleslev, of course not.

We are in fact making significant investments to restore a significantly diminished capacity at CBSA and IRB, to do the job of upholding Canadian law. That's what we are doing.

[Leona Alleslev, Conservative, Aurora—Oak Ridges—Richmond Hill, ON]

But if there were no irregular border crossing—

[Bill Blair]

That's what we are doing.

[Leona Alleslev, Conservative, Aurora—Oak Ridges—Richmond Hill, ON]

—we wouldn't have to spend this kind of money.

[Bill Blair]

We're putting the resources back that were previously gutted from those budgets.

[Leona Alleslev, Conservative, Aurora—Oak Ridges—Richmond Hill, ON]

Minister, Canada's condo market has become a haven for transnational organized crime to launder illegal money. How much illegal money is being laundered into Canada through our lax regulations?

[Bill Blair]

I think there is clearly an issue with respect to money laundering in this country. I spoke earlier in my remarks about the work of Dr. Peter German in British Columbia. I think there's important insight and advice—

[Leona Alleslev, Conservative, Aurora—Oak Ridges—Richmond Hill, ON]

How much, though? Give us an estimate.

[Bill Blair]

I don't have a dollar amount and its scope, but what I can tell you is that we've clearly identified it as an issue.