Evidence of meeting #126 for Public Safety and National Security in the 42nd Parliament, 1st Session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was crime.
A video is available from Parliament.
4:20 p.m.
Minister of Border Security and Organized Crime Reduction
I believe you might have heard someone else say that. I said our goal is to eliminate irregular migration.
4:20 p.m.
Conservative
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?
4:20 p.m.
Minister of Border Security and Organized Crime Reduction
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—
4:20 p.m.
Conservative
Leona Alleslev Conservative Aurora—Oak Ridges—Richmond Hill, ON
Not the backlog.... How many have been removed?
4:20 p.m.
Minister of Border Security and Organized Crime Reduction
From which group? We have been removing people as a result of those IRB hearings.
4:20 p.m.
Conservative
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?
4:20 p.m.
Minister of Border Security and Organized Crime Reduction
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.
4:20 p.m.
Conservative
4:20 p.m.
Minister of Border Security and Organized Crime Reduction
When that is completed, then it is the role of CBSA to effect an orderly removal.
4:20 p.m.
Conservative
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?
4:20 p.m.
Minister of Border Security and Organized Crime Reduction
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—
4:20 p.m.
Conservative
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?
4:20 p.m.
Minister of Border Security and Organized Crime Reduction
Thank you for the opportunity to answer that question.
Of these, 124 were irregular migrants who have been removed.
4:20 p.m.
Conservative
Leona Alleslev Conservative Aurora—Oak Ridges—Richmond Hill, ON
The number is 124 since when, Minister?
4:20 p.m.
Minister of Border Security and Organized Crime Reduction
In the fiscal year 2017-18....
September 25th, 2018 / 4:20 p.m.
Conservative
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?
4:20 p.m.
Minister of Border Security and Organized Crime Reduction
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.
4:25 p.m.
Conservative
Leona Alleslev Conservative Aurora—Oak Ridges—Richmond Hill, ON
But if there were no irregular border crossing—
4:25 p.m.
Minister of Border Security and Organized Crime Reduction
That's what we are doing.
4:25 p.m.
Conservative
Leona Alleslev Conservative Aurora—Oak Ridges—Richmond Hill, ON
—we wouldn't have to spend this kind of money.
4:25 p.m.
Minister of Border Security and Organized Crime Reduction
We're putting the resources back that were previously gutted from those budgets.
4:25 p.m.
Conservative
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?
4:25 p.m.
Minister of Border Security and Organized Crime Reduction
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—
4:25 p.m.
Conservative
Leona Alleslev Conservative Aurora—Oak Ridges—Richmond Hill, ON
How much, though? Give us an estimate.
4:25 p.m.
Minister of Border Security and Organized Crime Reduction
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.