Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Hello, members and everyone.
I want to first congratulate MP Dancho on becoming first vice-chair and the unanimous nomination by this committee. It's probably one of the few times the committee has voted unanimously on something.
Welcome back to the House of Commons. It's nice to see you.
It's nice to see all of you, for that matter.
I in turn want to echo the words of the Public Safety minister in commending the work of our security and law enforcement partners in apprehending the individuals in question. They've proven yet again that continued collaboration across law enforcement, security and border agencies is essential to keep people safe.
At the same time, I intimately share your serious concerns about the arrest of the two individuals charged in the terrorism attempt in Toronto, Ahmed Eldidi and Mostafa Eldidi. I'm also concerned about the arrest a few weeks ago of Muhammad Khan, a Pakistani national suspected of plotting an attack in New York.
I will provide as much information as possible, and, echoing the instructions of the chair in the ongoing court case, we must remember not to impair the Crown's ability to prosecute the individuals, the accused, and the right of the accused to a fair trial.
On August 28, we provided this committee with a chronology of events. I have also asked my deputy minister to conduct a thorough review of how these two individuals entered Canada, and we are conducting a review of our internal security screening procedures.
The first step is to gather all the facts. Once these elements are in place, Minister LeBlanc and I will move quickly to make the necessary changes to strengthen the system, if necessary. The internal review will be completed in the coming weeks, and the findings and recommendations will be made public.
Before highlighting my department's role in strengthening security screening procedures in Canada, I would like to give you an overview of how my department works with other agencies to protect the country.
Canadians deserve answers and transparency. It's precisely what all of us aim to provide today. It's why my department provided a chronology of events to this committee regarding Muhammad Khan, in addition to the chronology of events provided in August.
I do want to be clear. Everyone who wants to come to Canada is screened. IRCC works closely with CBSA, with CSIS and with the RCMP to share information and to identify people who may pose a national security risk.
This monitoring occurs in three stages: before the person arrives to Canada, at the port of entry and once in Canada. You heard that from my colleague a few weeks ago.
My department leads on the first stage in collaboration with CBSA and with CSIS. Every applicant for a temporary or a permanent residency is subject to an initial security assessment. We assess their personal information and their history against a set of risk indicators to determine if they could pose a potential threat.
Based on those risk indicators, we identify applicants who warrant further security screening by CBSA or by CSIS. We also confirm their identity and assess admissibility, verifying biometric data such as fingerprints and biographic information against RCMP databases, as well as immigration data held by international partners. That includes our most important partner, the United States.
Immigration officers systematically assess applications based on the criteria set out in the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act. They may deem someone inadmissible on the basis of criminal activity, human rights violations, national security concerns or misrepresentation. Members of a terrorist organization are inadmissible.
Officers with CBSA, the Canada Border Services Agency, conduct another level of screening at entry into Canada. People who misrepresent themselves, use fraudulent documents or are flagged in our system can be refused entry. All adults who claim asylum in Canada undergo extensive security screening by the CBSA and CSIS, the Canadian Security Intelligence Service.
Once individuals are admitted to Canada, security and law enforcement partners work together to manage threats within our borders.
If applicants violate the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act, they risk losing their status and facing removal and criminal charges. As minister, I have the authority to revoke someone's Canadian citizenship if they've obtained it by being dishonest, committing fraud or hiding important information.
With regard to Ahmed Eldidi, his initial temporary resident visa application was refused. This was not for security reasons, as no risk indicators were identified during the initial assessment. Rather, he was deemed a potential non-genuine visitor over concerns that he wouldn't leave Canada at the end of his authorized stay. When he applied again, his application was approved after the officer was satisfied that he intended to visit Canada.
Risk indicators that were flagged along his immigration journey, from his asylum claim to his applications for permanent residency and citizenship, were referred to security partners. A favourable recommendation, as you heard a few weeks ago, was returned each time. No issues were found by the officers that made him inadmissible.
I'm taking this situation very seriously. I fully support my department's review and the discussion today. We are committed to taking all necessary steps to keep everyone safe.
The safety of Canadians is the top priority of this government and of all members of cabinet. Together, we will continue to prevent, detect, and disrupt any suspected terrorist threat or activity. We are also committed to continually reviewing and improving our security apparatus.
Thank you, Chair.
I'm happy to take your questions.
