Lena Metlege Diab
Halifax West, Nova Scotia · Liberal · Canada
“Mr. Speaker, I do want to wish the colleague a very happy July and August, wherever she is with her family. Perhaps in the fall she will come back with a bit of a better spirit. We have continuously said that no one can commit a crime with impunity. Serious crimes deserve serious consequences.”
“Mr. Speaker, we all know that anyone who commits a crime in this country, regardless of their immigration status, be it Canadian or not, is treated according to the law, to the fullest extent of the law. Judges make decisions. There is absolutely nothing in the immigration law that allows for sentences to be discounted.”
“Mr. Speaker, that colleague has asked that question a number of times, and it has been answered. Let me tell him what Canadians do want to know. Canadians know that the government is focused on building a stronger economy to responsibly manage migration.”
“Mr. Speaker, I have good news. Here is what Canadians need to know. Our plan for responsible, sustainable immigration is working. The non-permanent resident population has declined. We are focused on attracting skilled talent, like health care workers, construction workers, researchers and engineers. The numbers do not lie.”
“Mr. Speaker, I have been clear. Just because someone has a Canadian ancestor, this does not mean they are automatically eligible for citizenship. They must definitively prove their link to Canada at each and every generation. Genealogy websites are not enough.”
“Mr. Speaker, let us get the facts straight. I answered four hours of questions in committee of the whole for all Canadians to hear. I was very clear in my response that IRGC officials are inadmissible to Canada and have no place in our country. Some hon. members: Oh, oh! Hon.”
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“Mr. Speaker, I do want to wish the colleague a very happy July and August, wherever she is with her family. Perhaps in the fall she will come back with a bit of a better spirit. We have continuously said that no one can commit a crime with impunity. Serious crimes deserve serious consequences. There is nothing in the immigration law that does not allow that. In fact, public safety and law enforcement have deported over 22,000 cases, and we will continue to work with law enforcement to ensure that we protect Canadians.”
“Mr. Speaker, we all know that anyone who commits a crime in this country, regardless of their immigration status, be it Canadian or not, is treated according to the law, to the fullest extent of the law. Judges make decisions. There is absolutely nothing in the immigration law that allows for sentences to be discounted. As I stand here today, let me wish everybody a very happy Canada Day as we conclude the parliamentary session.”
“Mr. Speaker, I have good news. Here is what Canadians need to know. Our plan for responsible, sustainable immigration is working. The non-permanent resident population has declined. We are focused on attracting skilled talent, like health care workers, construction workers, researchers and engineers. The numbers do not lie. Our plan is working.”
“Mr. Speaker, that colleague has asked that question a number of times, and it has been answered. Let me tell him what Canadians do want to know. Canadians know that the government is focused on building a stronger economy to responsibly manage migration. We have tightened our processes, and the latest numbers prove it: the temporary resident population is down 73%; asylum claims are down 63%; the non-permanent resident population has dropped for 18 consecutive months; and asking rents have dropped for 20 months. Numbers do not lie, and our plan is working.”
“Mr. Speaker, I have been clear. Just because someone has a Canadian ancestor, this does not mean they are automatically eligible for citizenship. They must definitively prove their link to Canada at each and every generation. Genealogy websites are not enough. My job is to safeguard the integrity of our citizenship program, and I will do everything necessary to protect that.”
“Bill C-16. Third reading moved that Bill C-16, An Act to amend certain Acts in relation to criminal and correctional matters (child protection, gender-based violence, delays and other measures) , be read the third time and passed.”
“Mr. Speaker, let us try this again. As we have repeatedly said, IRGC officials are inadmissible to Canada. They are not being admitted. There is a ban; that ban continues to be in place. Any senior officials who have served in the Iranian regime since June 2003 onward are not admissible to Canada.”
“Mr. Speaker, let us get the facts straight. I answered four hours of questions in committee of the whole for all Canadians to hear. I was very clear in my response that IRGC officials are inadmissible to Canada and have no place in our country. Some hon. members: Oh, oh! Hon. Lena Metlege Diab: I am not sure if the opposition wants to hear the response, because all I hear is heckling.”
“Mr. Speaker, we remain committed to what we have promised. Despite significant challenges, Canadians need to know that over 1,400 Gazans have arrived in Canada. Through our programs, I have directed my department to accelerate decisions on study permits for Palestinian students who have been able to exit. They are being interviewed, and final decisions are being made. We will continue processing applications while upholding the requirements to protect our immigration system and those it serves.”
“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.”
“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.”
“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.”
“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—”
“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—”
“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.”
“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.”
“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—”
“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.”
“Mr. Chair, the court clearly and unequivocally stated that public safety is paramount, and that is exactly what this government is doing. We have hired officers. We are complying with our obligations, and we will continue to do that. There is nothing in our law that offers otherwise.”
“Mr. Chair, we would be glad to work with the member if the member would bring a law that is constitutional and within the law. That is not what the member did. Her law that she brought in was unconstitutional. The Supreme Court of Canada had ruled on that over a decade ago, that it is not within the Constitution.”
“Mr. Chair, again, I am the immigration minister. I am looking at the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act and regulations. There is nothing in that document and in those rules that permits what the member is alluding to.”
“Mr. Chair, I will continue on the fact that we are strengthening our communities. We are protecting our population. We are managing immigration. We are bringing in talented tradespeople, strengthening rural communities, attracting health workers, fast-tracking physicians and—”
“Mr. Chair, I disagree with the member totally. If he really wants to look at my record, I am going to need a bit of time here, but asylum claims are down and temporary resident work permits and foreign students are down. Perhaps the member wants them at zero. I am not sure. Maybe he should be talking to his community. We have strengthened our program to attract the talent we need—”
“Mr. Chair, we work with partners in public safety, the RCMP and the CBSA. We have reinforced them. We are hiring 1,000 additional staff. We brought in various measures. I think Canadians in the community can feel safe.”
“Mr. Chair, I will quote the numbers again. Members like numbers. There have been 17,800 applications reviewed for potential inadmissibility and 239 visas cancelled by IRCC, and there are 176 investigations ongoing with the CBSA.”
“Mr. Chair, as I said, IRGC officials are inadmissible. Yes, we do work with the Minister of Public Safety and with CBSA. They are investigating all these cases. They will be taking action as required.”
“Mr. Chair, in terms of Hong Kong, I believe I already addressed that with another member, but a number of measures have been implemented for Hong Kong, both for permanent resident pathways and temporary resident measures.”
“Mr. Chair, in 2024, prior to me becoming a minister, the government introduced special measures to facilitate temporary residence for up to 5,000 extended family members in Gaza of Canadian citizens and permanent residents.”
“Mr. Chair, I do not believe I can reply to that. I do not think I have what the member is asking for. I can tell the member that, as of February 28, approximately 1,360 Palestinians have been approved to come to Canada and approximately 985 people have arrived through the special measures.”
“Mr. Chair, first let me say that when the member speaks of Gaza and the Middle East, my heart goes out to everyone there. Obviously, I know it is very difficult. When the member speaks of students, they all go through the same application as any international student. I can tell the member that we have directed officials to accelerate the student visa processing for people in Gaza, and I can confirm—”
“Mr. Chair, as I said, IRCC monitors that with the partners we work with. It is not simply IRCC. There are other departments that it works with in order to monitor them, and we will continue to do that.”
“Mr. Chair, I want to welcome my colleague to the discussion here tonight. She is my immigration critic, and I had a great discussion with her in the summer when we were talking about levels and everything else. I very much value her experience in immigration and also in politics, not just federally but provincially. The member does ask a good question on the STCA. Does she mind if I continue?”
“Mr. Chair, I appreciate my colleague's opinion. We are working to deliver for Canadians, to fulfill the commitments we made in the election, to bring down the numbers of temporary and permanent residents in 2027 and to bring in talent.”
“Mr. Chair, we definitely have a plan. We are definitely delivering on that plan. It has been transparent, it has been clear, and perhaps that is part of the reason there have been so many questions from Canadians. We have been so clear and so transparent, and it is different than in past years, and we will continue to do the best that—”
“Mr. Chair, again, these are excellent questions, and they are ones that Canadians are asking me when I go to different provinces, and the territories that I went to as well. No, it is neither of those. It is the fact that we have a levels plan. The levels plan has a permanent resident number, but for the first time, in 2024, Canada introduced the temporary resident plan—”
“Mr. Chair, we have levels, in terms of the temporary resident population, that we can accept, whether it is students, workers or the people who are coming on humanitarian pathways. It is all calculated together. It is all in budget 2025, which was tabled in the House. We are working to process those numbers accordingly.”
“Mr. Chair, it is a very good question because many people use home care workers. We had to pause the program because we found an abundance of volume there, and we felt, as everybody does now, that it is just not fair to keep accepting more and more applications until we are able to process some of the ones that we have in the queue.”
“Mr. Chair, it is a very good point. In terms of the IRCC's processing standards, 80% are processed in time within our standards. We have very high-demand volumes. To go back to the member's earlier question on security screening, we are working very diligently with both CBSA and CSIS to bring those down.”
“Mr. Chair, my colleague raises a really good point that we have been talking with my department's officials about, because we receive those concerns in my constituency office as well, as do all parliamentarians. I would say that part of the process is to do with the fact that we have a levels plan that is part of managing migration in Canada, permanent and temporary. As a result of that, we can only process so many per year. We have been clear and transparent with Canadians on what that number is. In fact, we met our target last year and we are on track to do so this year. It is part of the levels plan that we have that we can only process so much.”
“Mr. Chair, this may be one of the first times that I have responded to the hon. member. I know she has been here for a while. I very much respect her as a person, but also as a parliamentarian. I know she has connections to my province of Nova Scotia. I really appreciate her wealth of knowledge here. She asked me a question about the STCA. The information I have is that the STCA continues to be partnered with Canada.”
“Mr. Chair, I am not sure what my colleague is referring to. Is he referring to coverages that are interim for essential services for vulnerable people before they transition to provincial funding? He is going to have to confirm that.”
“Mr. Chair, as I said earlier, the Canada Border Services Agency has deported 23,000 people this past year. We work with the CBSA and with our law enforcement. We are investing in over 1,000 more officers to ensure that we protect Canadians.”
“Mr. Chair, I am proud to say that this government is investing in law enforcement. This government is protecting Canadians. That is our priority. We have reduced the IFHP coverage. We have instituted copay as well. The PBO has confirmed—”
“Mr. Chair, again, I know it is an important subject. I appreciate my colleague. I know he cares; otherwise, he would not be asking me the question. I do appreciate that, but again, as I said, these are temporary, interim federal health measures for vulnerable—”
“Mr. Chair, let me tell everyone about processing and our service standards: 80% of completed applications are processed within service standards. There is high demand for the available level space that we have. We have been transparent. We have been clear with all Canadians and all members of Parliament on that. Our staff has cross-training so they can work with the demand we have.”
“Mr. Chair, again, as I have said, that program was paused. The department is actively looking at what the best way is, because part of my mission is to bring sustainability to our permanent resident numbers and our temporary resident numbers, to attract francophone immigration and to bring global talent to Canada. That is exactly the mission we are working on, and we are achieving clear results.”
“Mr. Chair, through you, I would please ask that people not put words in my mouth. I said the program was paused. That was the right thing to do. There were too many applications in the system. We have heard about that for a little while. It was uncontrollable, but it was not because of the IRCC and the people working diligently in that department. It was because too many people were applying, and they could not stop the applications. The right thing was done to pause it, take a look and see what was the best thing to do.”
“Mr. Chair, that is a very interesting and good question. I have been transparent and clear. In fact, I was at the Toronto Club and was asked exactly that question and questions along those lines. In fact the individuals who were there asking me were all business people and people who knew about this program. They told me there was so much fraud in that particular program and that they understood why we had to pause it. We have been clear and transparent. We paused the program because we, or the department before I got there, could not control the applications coming in. Therefore, we needed to pause it and take a look at it to ensure we have a system that works for the top talent this country needs.”
“Mr. Chair, I believe that the member was a member of the Standing Committee on Citizenship and Immigration when many people testified at that committee when the bill was going through. I believe he already had the answers at that point. Again, we will monitor what happens in the future.”
“Mr. Chair, again, I believe that the record shows that we are managing migration. It shows the decrease of asylum. It shows that the temporary resident population has decreased as we said it would decrease, and the PBO has confirmed that.”