Debates of May 28th, 2026

Department of Citizenship and Immigration—Main Estimates, 2026-27

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

Mr. Chair, my role is to manage migration in Canada. We have clear rules. We are working. We have been transparent with Canadians. People who commit serious offences will be treated and should be treated seriously and sentenced. CBSA investigates and deports.

[Michelle Rempel, Conservative, Calgary Nose Hill, AB]

However, Mr. Chair, they are not being treated seriously. They are not being deported.

Here is another example. A non-citizen who committed a string of crimes in Calgary pleaded to a lesser crime of assault in order to avoid deportation. Can the minister tell the victim why this person is still in Canada?

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

Mr. Chair, again, as I said, serious criminals deserve serious consequences. Judges are applying the law within the Constitution. The Supreme Court has said public interest is the top priority. That is our—

[The Assistant Deputy Chair, Conservative, John Nater]

The hon. member.

[Michelle Rempel, Conservative, Calgary Nose Hill, AB]

Mr. Chair, where does it say in the Constitution that non-citizens should get more lenient sentences than Canadians, in order to avoid deportation?

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

Mr. Chair, again, let us bring it back to immigration and why we are here tonight. CBSA removed, as the public safety minister said today, 23,000 people last year.

[Michelle Rempel, Conservative, Calgary Nose Hill, AB]

Mr. Chair, it is inconceivable that they voted against a bill to close this loophole and amend the Criminal Code to deport non-citizens convicted of serious crime and uphold the law.

Here is another example. A non-citizen caused a deadly crash on Highway 401, then received a lenient sentence in order to avoid deportation. Can the minister tell the victim's family why this person is still in Canada?

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

Mr. Chair, for the benefit of the people listening, this government has brought in many pieces of legislation to protect Canadians, many pieces of crime legislation, and the opposition has been obstructing and has obstructed each and every one of them.

[Michelle Rempel, Conservative, Calgary Nose Hill, AB]

Mr. Chair, I brought in a law that would have amended the Criminal Code by one line, to say that judges cannot issue lenient sentences in order to help non-citizens avoid deportation.

I will ask the minister again.

Colleagues should keep in mind that I am asking her to speak to victims. It is drivel that she is putting forward. Members should think about that and think about what these victims are hearing.

A non-citizen arranged to have sex with an underage girl and then received a lenient sentence in order to avoid deportation. Does the minister think this person deserves to stay in Canada?

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

Mr. Chair, non-citizens convicted of a serious crime are inadmissible, whether the crime happened in Canada or outside Canada. That means they are not allowed to enter Canada or stay in Canada if they are already here.

We brought in many pieces of criminal legislation in this House, under this government, under our mandate so far, that the opposition has obstructed in each and every way. We have also invested in CBSA officers and RCMP officers. We are hiring many to protect Canadians.

[Michelle Rempel, Conservative, Calgary Nose Hill, AB]

Mr. Chair, the minister has no respect for the victims, no compassion or empathy for them and, frankly, no respect for the rule of law. Otherwise, she would have voted for this bill to stop this process.

I will ask her to have empathy for these victims. A non-citizen caused a crash in British Columbia that killed two people. Instead of being deported for this horrible crime, he received a lenient sentence in order to avoid deportation.

Can the minister tell the victims' families why this person is still in Canada?

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

Mr. Chair, I have been clear. I am very empathetic toward all of these scenarios. Serious crimes committed by these people deserve serious sentences. The CBSA investigates them and they get deported.

[Michelle Rempel, Conservative, Calgary Nose Hill, AB]

Mr. Chair, we have to realize that the Liberals are sitting here, mocking this. That is why Canadians have lost faith in immigration. It is because of things like this. All we have to do is pass a one-line change to the Criminal Code.

A non-citizen trucker in Ontario killed another truck driver and severely injured a passenger. There were real victims to this crime, and that person should have been deported. Why were they not?

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

Mr. Chair, I am managing migration. I have been very clear throughout the last number of hours, in fact, throughout the last number of months. We have instituted policies. We are very transparent in what we are doing. Criminals deserve—

[The Assistant Deputy Chair, Conservative, John Nater]

Resuming debate, the hon. member for South Shore—St. Margarets.

[Jessica Fancy-Landry, Liberal, South Shore—St. Margarets, NS]

Mr. Chair, I think it is very condescending when someone asks a question and then turns their back and walks away before hearing the answer.

I will be splitting my time this evening with the hon. member for Winnipeg North.

As I rise tonight to speak to the Minister of Immigration about an issue that is vital to what we feel is the long-term strength, resilience and sustainability of our country, I would like to talk about the importance of rural and regional immigration.

Before I do, I want to share a quick side story about my mother, who immigrated to Canada when she was 10 years old. At the ripe age of 64, last year, she got her citizenship, and I was actually the first person she ever voted for as an immigrant here in Canada.

Back to rural and remote communities, they are the backbone of a lot of key sectors, like agriculture, natural resources, health care, tourism and small businesses, yet many of these communities are facing serious demographic challenges. Declining populations, aging workforces and persistent labour shortages are placing real pressure on local economies and essential services. Without thoughtful action, these pressures risk undermining not only community vitality but economic growth and national cohesion.

Rural immigration is not simply about population growth. It is about community survival, in some cases. It is about economic sustainability, and it is about ensuring that families can continue to build their futures in every region of this country from coast to coast to coast. In my own region of South Shore—St. Margarets in Nova Scotia, the neighbour riding to the minister's, we have seen first-hand the positive impact that newcomers have in our communities.

New Canadians are helping businesses grow. They are supporting local industry, volunteering in our communities, enrolling in our schools and bringing new energy and ideas to rural Nova Scotia. That is why targeted immigration pathways, like our minister has mentioned tonight, especially for rural and remote regions, are so important. They are not simply about filling jobs, though that is critical. They are also about building complete, thriving communities. When newcomers arrive in rural areas, they contribute as entrepreneurs, health care providers, skilled tradespeople and our neighbours. They enrol their children in local schools, support small businesses and strengthen the social fabric that keeps our communities vital.

However, we know that attracting newcomers to rural Canada is only one part of that equation. Retention is equally important. That is why our regional levels plan, developed in close collaboration with municipalities, provinces, employers and community organizations, plays a key role. These plans must address housing availability, access services, language training, employment opportunities for spouses and pathways to permanent residency. When we get these elements right, newcomers who come here not only stay in our rural areas but thrive and put down roots.

I would also like to take a moment to acknowledge the minister's hard work in this area. The minister has made a real effort to listen to members from all sides of the House. She shows a willingness to engage, to hear diverse perspectives, as we have heard tonight, and to collaborate on solutions when others try to weaponize immigration in our country, solutions that are essential when it comes to building immigration programs that are truly meeting the needs of Canadians.

In my role as vice-chair of our national rural caucus, I have had the opportunity to see this first-hand. The minister has taken the time to attend our meetings and to hear directly from other members of Parliament who represent rural and remote communities throughout the country. We have shared the realities faced by our constituents, staffing shortages in hospitals and long-term care homes, the challenges facing farmers and processors, and the need for small towns to grow and renew these populations.

More importantly, not only has the minister listened, but she has taken those insights very seriously. Programs designed to support regional immigration reflect, in many ways, that ongoing dialogue. They recognize that a one-size-fits-all approach sometimes does not work in a country as vast and diverse as Canada.

Instead, we need flexible, community-driven models that empower local leaders to help shape immigration pathways that align with specific needs. The success of rural immigration programs also depends on this continued partnership: municipal governments, chambers of commerce, etc.

As we look ahead, there is an opportunity to build on existing initiatives and expand what is working. This includes scaling successful pilot programs, improving pathways for international students in rural institutions and ensuring that smaller communities have the resources they need to participate fully in immigration programs.

In closing, I would like to thank the minister for her willingness to work with us at rural caucus and her lifelong dedication to immigration, previously as a provincial minister in our wonderful province of Nova Scotia and as a strong constituency member of Parliament for Halifax West. I would also like to give a shout-out to her parliamentary secretary, who is also working steadfastly building partnerships, programs and supports for those immigrating to Canada and for communities that look to immigrants to help fill those work spaces.

In terms of my question for our minister tonight, I would love to give the minister the opportunity to tell Canadians about this government's core missions.

[Lena Metlege Diab, Liberal, Minister of Immigration]

Mr. Chair, first, I really want to thank my colleague from South Shore—St. Margarets for her passion and her advocacy, not only for her own constituency, but also for all rural and remote communities across the country. She eloquently spoke, and she is definitely right; we both come from the same province of Nova Scotia. In fact, our constituencies are right beside each other. She knows that I also know that one size does not fit all when we talk about immigration. That is something that was entrenched in me, when I became a federal minister, from smaller provinces and smaller communities, and because of that, I am very happy to say that the Atlantic immigration pilot that was started in 2018—

[The Assistant Deputy Chair, Conservative, John Nater]

I am afraid I have to cut the minister off, but she may have a chance to resume those comments at the next opportunity.

The hon. parliamentary secretary to the government House leader.

[Kevin Lamoureux, Liberal, Parliamentary Secretary to the Leader of the Government in the House of Commons]

Mr. Chair, earlier this week, we had the official opposition challenging the Minister of Immigration, asking, “Are you going to be here on Thursday? Are you going to be here for the four hours on Thursday?” Do members remember those questions? Where are the Conservatives now? They have completely disappeared. I guess they ran out of questions.

I am surprised by the games the Conservatives continue to play on such an important issue of immigration. If they were genuine and sincere about the issue of immigration, surely they would do what they were asking of the minister and actually have a physical presence during the estimates process. It tells me they have run out of ideas, they have run out of questions and that it is nothing more than a game to them.

We saw that demonstrated when the Conservatives talked about this whole two-tier justice system. There is one justice system. To try to imply something different, as the member from Calgary often does, is to feed into the far right of the Conservative Party to try to make immigration look bad. I find that unfortunate. Real Progressive Conservatives recognize the true value of immigration.

Canada was built on immigration, much like the minister said at the beginning of the debate: We are all immigrants except for first nations. It is just a question of whether someone is second-generation, third-generation or however many generations they may be. We value and appreciate the contributions that immigrants have made over the years. As the Prime Minister has indicated, and as the Minister of Immigration has done well in executing, we are stabilizing immigration. We recognize the importance of doing that.

Earlier, I was able to give a bit of a historic perspective as to what led us to where we are today. Now we have a minister who is actually putting into place policies that are stabilizing and ultimately delivering in areas of concern in the different regions of our nation.

I started to conclude my remarks last time talking about the importance of collaboration. I know the minister has already made reference to the issue of doctors and health care workers, and the creation of a program that enhances the quality of our health care. We are getting more doctors through an initiative that she has brought forward on behalf of the government. Unlike the Conservatives, we still believe in immigration and the value of immigration. We do not want to ramp up an issue and promote rage among the population, when, in fact, things are getting under control. We are moving forward.

There are initiatives that are making a difference in working with other jurisdictions. That is why we have the doctors program. We can take a look at the number of provincial nominee applicants coming in under this government and the minister. They are reaching every region. Through that program, we are able to assist in meeting the types of labour demands in certain areas.

I met with the mayor of Winnipeg a few days ago, and I met with the Winnipeg transit union. Both emphasized that there are a number of transit drivers they want to keep because they spent $30,000 in training some of these temporary workers. We recommended to the province to use the nominee program to settle them. That was done in part, and now we understand that there might be another 25 or 30 workers.

As the minister has explained, we have a process, and if we follow the process, not only would we be able to sustain manageable numbers, but we could also build a Canada—

[The Assistant Deputy Chair, Conservative, John Nater]

The time has now expired for the member, but he may ask a question. Does he have one?

[Kevin Lamoureux, Liberal, Winnipeg North, MB]

Mr. Chair, yes, I do have a question. I am disappointed. Is the minister not discouraged, given that you have been here from the beginning right to the end, and when you look across the way, you see that the benches are absolutely empty? I am disappointed. Are you disappointed?

[The Assistant Deputy Chair, Conservative, John Nater]

The member is an experienced member and knows he cannot say that.

The hon. minister may respond.

[Lena Metlege Diab, Liberal, Minister of Immigration]

Mr. Chair, I am actually disappointed that we are coming to a close, because I think we just are getting started, to be quite frank.

Let me first thank the member for Winnipeg North for the tremendous work he is doing here. Every member of the House knows he is a champion and represents his constituents and Canadians exceptionally well. He has been a great mentor to me personally since I came to the House in 2021.

I want Canadians to know that we are working hard for them. We are being transparent. We have a plan. We are managing migration. We clearly have results.

I also want to take a moment to thank the support staff, the interpreters, the pages, the security personnel, the dedicated professionals at IRCC and my colleagues beside me, who have been here the whole time to support me through this process and also to work for Canadians as we continue this work.

Ministers do not get a chance to do this. Members can, but not ministers. It is my first chance since I was elected 12 months ago to thank the good people of Halifax West, without whom I would not be able to do this important work for Canadians. I just want to tell them and everybody across the country that I am looking forward to a very productive summer season, when I will get an opportunity to hear from everybody from different parts of the country, all their views, opinions and interests, as we continue to build a strong economy with my parliamentary colleagues on the benches, with this great government, the ministers who work day and night and our fabulous Prime Minister.

I told the media, which is true, that we have a difficult task, but we will do it, and we will deliver for Canadians.

[The Assistant Deputy Chair, Conservative, John Nater]

It being 11:01 p.m., pursuant to order made Tuesday, May 26, and Standing Order 81(4), all votes are deemed reported.

The committee will now rise, and I will now leave the chair.

[The Assistant Deputy Speaker, John Nater]

The House now stands adjourned until tomorrow at 10 a.m., pursuant to Standing Order 24(1).

(The House adjourned at 11:02 p.m.)