Evidence of meeting #15 for Public Safety and National Security in the 45th Parliament, 1st session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was section.
A video is available from Parliament.
Conservative
Michelle Rempel Conservative Calgary Nose Hill, AB
I challenge this ruling and request a recorded division.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Jean-Yves Duclos
Thank you.
Madam Clerk, please proceed with the recorded vote.
(Ruling of the chair overturned: nays 5; yeas 4)
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Jean-Yves Duclos
I will now open the floor to debate on CPC‑16.
Is there any discussion?
Mr. Fragiskatos, you have the floor.
Liberal
Peter Fragiskatos Liberal London Centre, ON
I would ask for the view of officials once again, please.
Jason Hollmann Director General, Asylum Policy, Department of Citizenship and Immigration
The IRCC departmental results report reports against federal program expenditures made by the department. The reporting is structured around responsibilities and results indicators. It does include information around the programs IRCC is responsible for that would benefit asylum claimants.
The challenge in relation to the broader question of federal benefits becomes one of tracking across the government. Asylum claimants may be eligible for benefits under other programs by virtue of those programs, such as programs to support low-income individuals. It's unclear whether those programs track whether people are asylum claimants or benefiting from them by other means. It would be challenging for IRCC and the government to compile that information across the government. The scope would be unclear without a definition of benefits.
Thank you.
Conservative
Michelle Rempel Conservative Calgary Nose Hill, AB
I think it's hard for Canadians to pay a lot of the money that has gone out through the asylum system. I actually think it has undermined Canada's trust in the asylum system. As a parliamentarian, I'm asking for this information. What I'm hearing you say is that it's hard—it might be hard—to get this information, but that it would be possible. If you're not tracking it, that's also problematic. I just want to establish that. Is the amount that is going out to asylum seekers in federal benefits actually being tracked?
Director General, Asylum Policy, Department of Citizenship and Immigration
I'm saying the core benefits that are provided specifically to asylum claimants would be the interim federal health program. IRCC reports against that in the departmental results report. I would not necessarily be able to speak to other benefits that a claimant might have access to. As a result of tax filing, for example, they may be eligible for other programs. How those programs track which individuals have access to them and whether they differentiate between claimants or not, I wouldn't necessarily know. There are information protection sensitivities to whether we are disclosing people as claimants.
Conservative
Michelle Rempel Conservative Calgary Nose Hill, AB
What I'm hearing is that it's possible. I hope your minister has the political will to tell you get 'er done. Let's proceed to a vote.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Jean-Yves Duclos
Is there any further discussion?
It doesn't look like it.
Is the committee in agreement with CPC‑16?
I believe we'll have a recorded vote.
(Amendment agreed to: yeas 9; nays 0)
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Jean-Yves Duclos
That brings us to CPC‑17.
Would someone like to move that amendment?
Ms. Rempel Garner, please go ahead.
Conservative
Michelle Rempel Conservative Calgary Nose Hill, AB
I move, Chair, that Bill C-12 be amended by adding after line 23 on page 18 the following new clause:
39.1 Subsection 94(2) of the act is amended by striking out “and” at the end of paragraph (e.1), adding “and” at the end of paragraph (f) and adding the following after paragraph (f):
(g) measures taken to ensure that persons whose claim is determined to be ineligible under section 101 do not receive federal benefits, except for emergency health care.
Colleagues, there has been over a 400% increase in people who have been using the interim federal health program since the Liberals took power, from 84,967 users in 2016-17 to a whopping 426,750 in 2024 and 2025. At the same time, the median Canadian medical wait time to see a specialist went from 20 to 30 weeks. The cost to taxpayers for the interim federal health program has dramatically increased, from $66 million in 2016 to—wait for it—over $821 million in 2024, with little to no explanation from the government. There was over $456 million of taxpayer money spent on supplementary coverage in 2024 and 2025 alone. Many of these benefits the regular and average Canadian would not receive, such as mental health support, prosthetics and eyewear. Also, I would just note, 6.5 million Canadians currently lack access to a family doctor.
The interim federal health program was set up and designed to provide medical care to people who are coming to Canada as refugees who were fleeing war zones. I think about people who are welcomed to Canada as refugees under a motion I put forward and work that I did to bring Yazidi genocide survivors to Canada. However, at this point we now have 300,000 people in the asylum backlog queue, and many, if not most, of these claims will be found to be bogus.
What happens, and what we've heard tonight, is that the government has a very difficult time enforcing removal orders, and that includes people who have failed asylum claims. During the time after somebody is deemed ineligible as an asylum claim, they are still eligible to access federal benefits. Now, I believe that somebody should have access to emergency benefits that relate solely to emergency health care. Of course, you want somebody in Canada to have access to emergency health benefits, but as to everything else, the insanity has to stop somewhere. This is a common-sense amendment that will not only restore the public's trust that the asylum system is working but also reduce incentives to abuse the system. If somebody has an asylum claim that is deemed ineligible, and they know they can't continue to receive federal benefits, then perhaps they will stop appealing and leave.
This is where we're at in the country. We have to restore sanity to Canada's asylum system. Colleagues, this is a common-sense way I'm sure colleagues across the country who have struggled with issues would support. It's going to restore that compassionate sense of the asylum system as well. It's going to focus it on people who actually need it.
Colleagues, I hope you will support this amendment. I think this will do a lot to restore public confidence in Canada's asylum system.
Thank you.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Jean-Yves Duclos
Thank you.
In the opinion of the chair, this amendment is inadmissible, as it amends section 94 of the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act, which is not amended by Bill C‑12 that is before us today.
Ms. Rempel Garner, please go ahead.
Conservative
Michelle Rempel Conservative Calgary Nose Hill, AB
I challenge your ruling and request a recorded division.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Jean-Yves Duclos
We'll have a recorded vote.
(Ruling of the chair overturned: nays 5; yeas 4)
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Jean-Yves Duclos
That brings us to the debate on CPC‑17.
Is there any discussion?
Mr. Fragiskatos, you have the floor.
November 25th, 2025 / 9:10 p.m.
Liberal
Director General, Asylum Policy, Department of Citizenship and Immigration
What I can offer is that this section is about reporting and not about eligibility for specific programs in and of themselves. Each of those programs would be governed by the policy, regulation and legislation around those programs. That doesn't take away from any questions around looking at programs, but this section is particularly around reporting.
Thank you.
Liberal
Liberal
Jacques Ramsay Liberal La Prairie—Atateken, QC
I would submit that as it is, this amendment is not for the benefit of Canadians, since it doesn't include any care for public health-related matters, and that could put the Canadian population in danger, so it would need to be amended.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Jean-Yves Duclos
Thank you, Mr. Ramsay.
Is there any further discussion?
Is the committee in agreement with CPC‑17?
Liberal
Liberal