Resignation of Members  Mr. Speaker, I would like to begin by expressing my shock and horror at the terrorist act committed in the Quebec City mosque. I want to express my sincere condolences to the families of those who were killed or wounded. As I stand in this place for the last time, I naturally do

Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship  Mr. Speaker, we have been working very actively on a two-part strategy. We will bring Yazidi people, women and girls, from Turkey and Lebanon. We have also sent groups of officials into Iraq to consider, and we will bring them from that country as well. The member should understa

Questions on the Order Paper  Mr. Speaker, insofar as Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada, IRCC, is concerned, IRCC officials travelled to Erbil, Iraq, in October 2016 to conduct interviews with Syrian refugee applicants and to consult with the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees and the In

Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship  Mr. Speaker, the provinces have been on side from day one. As has been the case with past waves of refugees, it is in the early days an act of kindness by Canadians but over the long run it is a hugely positively investment. These refugees integrate into the labour force. Their c

Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship  Mr. Speaker, we have been working with the provinces to plan this since day one, and the settlement agencies and many Canadians. As I have said, this is a long-term investment. Somewhat less than half of the refugees currently have full-time employment, but 90% of the governmen

Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship  Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to say that yesterday, we reduced the processing times for spouses and their families from two years to one year. A special thanks to the young officials whose tiger team led to a radical improvement in the processing guidelines for our new system, and

Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship  Mr. Speaker, in terms of funding, the hon. member should know that just recently, last month, we initiated $18.5 million of additional funding, half of which is going to language training and half of which is going to settlement areas. The member should also know that this is a

Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship  Mr. Speaker, I thank the hon. member for her question and also for her good work in this area. When one is welcoming refugees to Canada, there is nothing more important than to teach them English or French, especially in the case of Syrian refugees, who typically speak not a wo

Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship  Why do I not have a job? I think I do have job. Mr. Speaker, as I just said, there are many benefits coming from this accord. As in any undertaking, there are risks. We are working very carefully and strongly with the Government of Mexico to manage those risks in a responsible w

Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship  Mr. Speaker, I am particularly grateful to my colleague for her question today, because it gives me the opportunity to announce the very good news that it is today that we are lifting the Mexico visa. This is good news for the Canadian tourist industry. It will create many jobs

Questions on the Order Paper  Mr. Speaker, insofar as Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada, IRCC, is concerned, visas are the primary tool in managing Canada’s border. The requirement that foreign nationals first obtain a temporary resident visa to visit Canada is the norm, not the exception. Ukraine

Points of Order  Mr. Speaker, yesterday I said that the number was not true, and I repeat the fact today that the number is not true.

Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship  Mr. Speaker, it is quite the contrary. In fact, all of the Liberals, and indeed all members of the House, voted positively for a motion to bring Yazidi and other victims of Daesh here within 120 days. Therefore, we have all agreed to that. My department is working very hard to de

Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship  Mr. Speaker, that number is wrong, and the hon. member knows it is wrong because she received a briefing from my department on our plans two days ago. Therefore, she knows very well that we are working on a plan, and she should know by now that to go public with this in a way tha

Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship  Mr. Speaker, we have certainly reached out to the mayor of Vegreville, through my staff. I have offered to have a meeting with the member opposite. However, the fact remains that this is a decision, driven by the need to produce lower processing times, better service and a growin