Debates of June 9th, 2025

Main Estimates and Supplementary Estimates (A), 2025-26

[Melissa Lantsman, Conservative, Thornhill, ON]

Mr. Chair, is the minister confident that the time spent on vetting immigrants is sufficient to keep Canadians safe?

[Lena Metlege Diab, Liberal, Halifax West, NS]

Mr. Chair, the safety of Canadians is of prime importance, which is why we have also introduced Bill C-2 to strengthen our borders, ensure the immigration system and visa—

[The Assistant Deputy Chair, Conservative, John Nater]

The hon. member.

[Melissa Lantsman, Conservative, Thornhill, ON]

Mr. Chair, maybe the minister is not familiar with how much time it takes to vet, but is she confident with the amount of vetting that takes place to keep Canadians safe? It is a yes-or-no question.

[Lena Metlege Diab, Liberal, Halifax West, NS]

Mr. Chair, again, there are biometrics, even in the estimates. We have funding allocated for those, which is $55.5 million in the estimates. There are—

[The Assistant Deputy Chair, Conservative, John Nater]

The hon. member.

[Melissa Lantsman, Conservative, Thornhill, ON]

Mr. Chair, does the minister think the amount of time spent on vetting Muhammad Khan, who was the student arrested last year for plotting an ISIS attack in New York whose social media had extremist content, was sufficient?

[Lena Metlege Diab, Liberal, Halifax West, NS]

Mr. Chair, I mean, the CBSA would be the department that would be able to answer questions like that.

[Melissa Lantsman, Conservative, Thornhill, ON]

Mr. Chair, the minister is responsible for vetting and letting in Canadians. Does she think that sufficient time was spent on vetting him?

[Lena Metlege Diab, Liberal, Halifax West, NS]

Mr. Chair, again, these questions are better suited to Public Safety and the Canada Border Services Agency.

[Melissa Lantsman, Conservative, Thornhill, ON]

Mr. Chair, does the minister of immigration understand her job?

[Lena Metlege Diab, Liberal, Halifax West, NS]

Mr. Chair, I do have a mandate letter from the Prime Minister, and he has made it quite clear as to what the expectations are.

[Melissa Lantsman, Conservative, Thornhill, ON]

Mr. Chair, does the minister believe that non-permanent residents should be deported if they are charged with and convicted of a criminal offence?

[Lena Metlege Diab, Liberal, Halifax West, NS]

Mr. Chair, these are security matters and security fissures, and of course, Public Safety and CBSA take control of that.

[Melissa Lantsman, Conservative, Thornhill, ON]

Mr. Chair, these are immigration questions. The minister decides who comes into Canada. Does she believe that non-permanent residents who have been convicted of a criminal offence should be deported, yes or no?

[Lena Metlege Diab, Liberal, Halifax West, NS]

Mr. Chair, we have a robust criminal justice system, and there are roles in place. Again, people who are charged—

[The Assistant Deputy Chair, Conservative, John Nater]

The hon. member.

[Melissa Lantsman, Conservative, Thornhill, ON]

Mr. Chair, can the minister tell me what colour my shirt is?

[Lena Metlege Diab, Liberal, Halifax West, NS]

Mr. Chair, the member would probably know more than me the colour of her shirt. She is wearing it.

[Melissa Lantsman, Conservative, Thornhill, ON]

Mr. Chair, is the minister capable of answering a simple question?

[Lena Metlege Diab, Liberal, Halifax West, NS]

Mr. Chair, I believe I have been answering the questions.

[Melissa Lantsman, Conservative, Thornhill, ON]

Mr. Chair, Ahmed Eldidi was the 2008 Syrian refugee who was charged in 2024 after appearing in an ISIS torture video, which was missed by initial screenings by this government. Did the Liberal government spend enough time vetting him? Just a simple yes or no.

[Lena Metlege Diab, Liberal, Halifax West, NS]

Mr. Chair, we have robust measures in the main estimates that deal with biometric collection, with security, but again, CBSA and CSIS are the ones that are in charge of that.

[Grant Jackson, Conservative, Brandon—Souris, MB]

Mr. Chair, there is no question that the Liberal government's failed policies have destroyed the student visa system. The previous minister was supposedly going to clamp down on fraud among student visa holders. How many migrants are currently in Canada with fraudulent student visas?

[Lena Metlege Diab, Liberal, Minister of Immigration]

Mr. Chair, when we talk about international students, I can say that in my own province of Nova Scotia, for the last over a decade, they come to the province and really do enrich the lives—