Mr. Speaker, I will be sharing my time with the hon. member for Bourassa.
I am pleased to rise today to talk about the strong borders act. The legislation before the House would strengthen border protection and border security and ensure integrity in the immigration system, with new authorities to improve how client information is shared with provincial and territorial partners; enforce our laws more effectively; and support a sustainable system that restores balance and trust in immigration for Canadians and those seeking to come to our country.
Overall, Bill C-2 would improve the flexibility and responsiveness of the asylum system by creating new ineligibility rules, removing incomplete or abandoned claims in the system and focusing resources on those who need protection the most.
Let me talk about information sharing.
As a former provincial minister of immigration, I know how important it is for the federal government to work with the provinces and territories to develop policies and programs.
When I was minister of immigration in Nova Scotia, I understood how critical partnerships and co-operation between governments were to meeting the needs of employers and communities and supporting diverse groups of people. The information provided by the federal government helps provinces and territories effectively manage their programs and services.
Let me be clear. This information sharing would, of course, continue to protect the personal information of applicants with strong safeguards. This would include a clear prohibition against provincial or territorial government partners further sharing any information with foreign entities except with the written consent of IRCC, where this would happen in a way that complies with Canada's international obligations.
With respect to the new asylum ineligibilities, to protect our system against surges in claims, we are introducing new ineligibility rules for asylum. Let me be clear once again. Claiming asylum is not a shortcut to immigration. The ineligibilities would reduce pressures on the system so that we can provide protection for those in need efficiently. Under the proposed legislation, the federal government would no longer refer claims to the Immigration and Refugee Board for a decision if claims are made more than one year after someone's first arrival after June 24, 2020, or if claims are made 14 or more days after someone enters Canada irregularly between border crossings.
The one-year limit discourages those wanting to use the asylum system as a way to extend their stay in Canada if other pathways fail. We are a generous country that values fairness, but Canadians expect us not to tolerate those who attempt to use the asylum system to bypass our laws and systems. With respect to the date that was selected, June 24, 2020, let me be clear that it was selected because that was the date the regulations were created to track the exit data.
We are applying the same principle to those who cross the border irregularly. We know that some continue to cross the Canada-U.S. border irregularly despite our warnings and laws. By waiting 14 or more days before filing an asylum claim, they effectively avoid return to the U.S. under the safe third country agreement.
Entering Canada between our points of entry is neither authorized nor safe. We have all seen the tragic loss of life or serious injuries to people who insisted on entering Canada through snow-covered fields, waterways or forests in the middle of winter. Not only are these crossings dangerous, but they are often linked to migrant trafficking and organized crime. They put people, including children, at even greater risk.
I recommend that everyone who wants to come to Canada use our migration channels and programs.
For these reasons, claims filed more than a year after a person first arrives, beginning on June 24, 2020, and those filed 14 days or more after they cross the border illegally will not be referred to the Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada for a decision.
These measures would allow our decision-making body, the Immigration and Refugee Board, to focus on making final decisions on genuine claims. These ineligibility rules would protect against potential surges in claims, relieve the pressure on the asylum system and help the IRB work through its existing inventory of pending claims, including from those who genuinely need our protection and support.
We recognize that our system needs to adapt to changing patterns and global migration. We need the system to be adaptable, flexible and responsive to changes so that we can safely manage the flow of people entering our country. In support of Canada's plan to strengthen border security in our immigration system, this legislation would introduce new authorities for Canada to respond to global events quickly and effectively.
When the global pandemic hit in 2020, the federal government was forced to make the difficult decision to close our borders to protect the health and safety of Canadians. While our vetting and review processes are thorough, documented and empowered under the law, we do not have the power to suspend or cancel documents.
Currently, officers have the authority to cancel a visa or electronic travel authorization on a case-by-case basis following a change in the status of the holder or because the holder is no longer entitled to hold the document.
For example, if it is discovered that an application contains false statements or the applicant has a criminal record or is deceased, the agent would have the power to cancel this document. Right now, that power does not exist.
This power does not apply to groups of immigration documents. This legislation would help Canada better respond to global events like the pandemic by allowing Canadian authorities to suspend, amend or cancel a number of immigration documents at once.
These authorities would help us protect the public interest, protecting against safety and security threats, health risks and abuse of publicly funded programs. To be clear, there is no plan to cancel the documents of any particular groups. These measures are intended to strengthen the integrity of our immigration system for the future.
The use of any of these authorities would require a separate process. Decisions would have to be driven by evidence and facts and would rest with the Governor in Council, not the minister alone. There are checks and balances in the process to ensure these measures would be used in the public interest of Canadians.
Through this legislation, the government would improve and streamline our asylum system, strengthen how we work with provinces and territories, support Canada's asylum system, and focus our decisions and resources. We would empower government to respond to changing times quickly.
These processes will be simpler, faster and more targeted. The proposed changes will improve public safety as well as the integrity of our government programs and services.
There would be fast, fair and final decisions so that our system meets our economic, social and humanitarian objectives.
I encourage all members to support this legislation to move these critical changes forward. I also encourage Canadians to look at the language of the legislation. If members help us put in these changes, we can have a system that we are proud of.
With these words, I am happy to take a few questions.