Debates of May 28th, 2026

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

[Lena Metlege Diab, Liberal, Minister of Immigration]

Mr. Chair, I want to start by thanking my colleague for the great work he does as a member of Parliament. I know he is a very committed advocate for his community.

I was with him in his riding and I attended a Black History Month event here in Ottawa. I thank him—

[The Chair, Conservative, Tom Kmiec]

The hon. member for Moncton—Dieppe.

[Ginette Petitpas Taylor, Liberal, Moncton—Dieppe, NB]

Mr. Chair, I am pleased to speak today about the main estimates 2026-27 for Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada. I would also like to take a moment to thank my friend and colleague, the minister of this department, who works tirelessly, puts in a tremendous amount of effort and manages a very complex portfolio.

I was very pleased to welcome her to Moncton in January when it was announced that we had surpassed our francophone immigration targets. We can talk more about that later, during questions and answers.

Immigration affects every region of the country. It bolsters our economy, supports community growth, reunites families and helps Canada attract the people and skills we need. It also reflects Canada's values, including our commitment to protecting people fleeing persecution, violence and serious harm. As global conflicts, climate pressures and changing migration patterns continue to displace people around the world, Canada must respond with compassion and through an orderly, fair and sustainable system.

These main estimates support that balance by helping to maintain the services, safeguards and partnerships needed to respond to humanitarian and asylum pressures in a very responsible way. Over the past few years, the increasing number of asylum claims has really strained the system. The number of claims exceeded processing capacity. Delays got longer and costs went up.

The delays are significant. They can make the process unfair for people who need protection and certainty about the future. They also put pressure on housing, health care and legal and community supports, and they can make a system more vulnerable and prone to abuse.

That is why our government is working hard to ease that pressure, strengthen integrity and make our asylum system more sustainable. We introduced measures to strengthen the integrity of migration and we modernized the asylum system. Measures to better manage the number of temporary resident applications and improve the integrity of temporary programs also contributed to reducing the number of asylum claims entering the system. I have to say that these measures are working. From January to March 2026, the number of asylum claims was about one-third lower than in the same period in 2025 and almost two-thirds lower than in the first quarter of 2024. Here again, things have clearly improved.

Bill C‑12 created new eligibility rules to protect the system from a sudden influx of applications, to discourage abuse and to support timely decisions. These rules apply when an application is submitted more than one year after a person first arrived in Canada or after an irregular crossing of the U.S. border. At the same time, safeguards are in place. If an application is inadmissible, the applicants can still go through a pre-removal risk assessment to determine whether they would face risk if they were sent back to their country of origin.

Over the coming months, the government will continue to improve the way asylum claims are received, handled and decided. With the new inadmissibility rules, these reforms will help make the system more efficient, more sustainable and better managed. The main estimates support this work. They provide the resources to support better processing, faster decisions, and essential services while applications are being considered. Timely decisions offer certainty to applicants who need and deserve Canada's protection. They also help resolve cases where individuals are not eligible to remain, so the system can continue to focus on the people who are most in need.

The main estimates also support essential services for eligible asylum seekers and other vulnerable groups while their status is being determined. People fleeing persecution, violence or serious harm may arrive with urgent needs. Canada has a responsibility to respond with dignity and care, while ensuring that these services remain reasonable, temporary and well managed in the long term.

This balance is important, especially at a time when health care, housing and social services are under strain across the country. By providing a clearer plan and a more sustainable path forward, we can maintain the public trust needed for the system to function more effectively.

Once again, as I clearly mentioned at the beginning, in Canada, when we talk about immigration and the French-speaking community, we want to ensure that we maintain a level of French-speaking population that will at least offset the loss, if you will.

I was wondering if the Minister of Immigration could discuss the immigration targets that have been set, tell us whether we have met those targets, and explain what measures and objectives we have put in place to ensure that we can still achieve those goals.

[Lena Metlege Diab, Liberal, Minister of Immigration]

Mr. Chair, I would like to thank the member for Moncton—Dieppe for her many years of service and for the excellent work she has done on behalf of all Canadians. Her leadership on official languages and her support for francophone and Acadian communities have been extremely important.

As she said, earlier this year, I had the opportunity to travel with her to Moncton, where we announced further progress on francophone immigration. We have surpassed our francophone immigration targets. Francophone immigration is a national priority. Outside Quebec, it is essential for Canada's future. It helps strengthen francophone minority communities, supports economic growth and helps protect the French language across the country. It is also part of Canada's bilingual identity.

Our government remains fully committed to increasing francophone immigration outside Quebec, and we are working very hard.

[Harb Gill, Conservative, Windsor West, ON]

Mr. Chair, firstly, I will be splitting my time.

Secondly, I am an immigrant, and I value the hard work, sacrifices and contributions of all immigrants across this great country. Organized crime, extortion, immigration fraud and criminals gaining entry to our country all increased under the minister's watch.

Canadians are asking a simple question: Was the minister completely reckless, or was the minister completely clueless?

[Lena Metlege Diab, Liberal, Minister of Immigration]

Mr. Chair, I appreciate the member's opening remarks because my family and I are also immigrants. I say that everyone in this chamber is an immigrant unless they are from a first nations community. The only difference is some have come here before the others. I very much value the contributions that immigrants and hard-working people make to Canada.

[Harb Gill, Conservative, Windsor West, ON]

Mr. Chair, that was no answer.

In connection to a major international extortion network targeting business owners, 17 people were arrested earlier this week in Peel Region. How many of them came as students, visitors or temporary residents under her watch, and when is the minister deporting them?

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

Mr. Chair, my colleague is talking about criminals and crime. Whether someone is Canadian or not, if they commit a crime in this country, they will pay the price of that crime. This is the case whether they are an asylum seeker, an international student or a Canadian.

[Harb Gill, Conservative, Windsor West, ON]

Mr. Chair, that was no answer again.

Extortion cases in Surrey exploded by more than 1,000% in barely a year. These gangs did not swim here. How many entered Canada through temporary visa programs that this minister approved?

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

Mr. Chair, everyone who applies to Canada, regardless of the path, is assessed by trained immigration officers on the very front line, and we will continue to improve on this.

[Harb Gill, Conservative, Windsor West, ON]

Mr. Chair, lack of screening at the border has allowed known criminals into our country. We have fake colleges, fake jobs and fraudulent visas. The warning signs were everywhere.

My former colleagues in law enforcement want to know why the minister was negligent in her duties.

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

Mr. Chair, we work very closely with public safety partners, including the CBSA, the RCMP, policing partners and provincial authorities. We review each applicant to ensure that they do not pose a threat prior—

[The Chair, Conservative, Tom Kmiec]

The hon. member.

[Harb Gill, Conservative, Windsor West, ON]

Mr. Chair, the minister flooded the system with temporary visas while fraud, fake schools and criminal exploitation exploded nationwide.

Did the Minister of Public Safety ever talk to her about doing basic security checks on people before allowing them into the country?

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

Mr. Chair, since 2023, we have introduced integrity measures, including stronger verification and letters of acceptance to all international students. We have made consistent follow-ups on flagged cases—

[The Chair, Conservative, Tom Kmiec]

The hon. member for Windsor West.

[Harb Gill, Conservative, Windsor West, ON]

Mr. Chair, that was no answer.

There are at least seven international cartels operating in Canada. Does the minister know how many of these suspected cartel members entered Canada through programs that she signed off on?

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

Mr. Chair, I am not sure to whom he is referring. In 2024, we raised the financial requirements for all international students coming to Canada to study, and those are adjusted every year in September as well.

[Harb Gill, Conservative, Windsor West, ON]

Mr. Chair, extortion cases across Canada have jumped roughly 330% since 2015.

Did it ever occur to the minister that her lack of basic security checks have caused a major public disaster? Some people have lost their lives, and many their livelihoods, because of her inaction.

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

Mr. Chair, IRCC initially screens each applicant when they apply for a visa or an electronic travel authorization document, whether it is for work, for study or for permanent residency.

[Harb Gill, Conservative, Windsor West, ON]

Mr. Chair, Canadians were told that foreign students and skilled workers were being let in. Instead, our communities are now dealing with organized extortion rings, fraud networks and intimidation.

Is it fair to say that the minister has no idea what she is doing or who she is letting into the country?

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

Mr. Chair, let us calm down here a little bit. We have integrity measures. We have strengthened all of the measures. We are working diligently. Everyone who applies to Canada is assessed by trained immigration officers.

[Harb Gill, Conservative, Windsor West, ON]

Mr. Chair, the media knew for months that gangs were targeting immigrant communities with threats and extortion. Local newspapers were more aware of the danger than the minister was.

Is the minister's department embarrassed by her lack of action?

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

Mr. Chair, we screen every applicant who is coming to Canada, regardless of the reason they are coming. CBSA removes serious criminals who have no right to be here. We work with policing. We work with RCMP—

[The Chair, Conservative, Tom Kmiec]

The hon. member for Kitchener Centre.