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. Chair, we continue to prioritize trades workers, as I said, such as carpenters, plumbers and machinists. I have personally met with union leaders right here in the House of Commons building, and also in provinces that I have actually visited. We continue to work with them, and we will ensure that our—”
“Mr. Chair, we work with the provinces and territories to focus on addressing the labour market gaps. Quite frankly, I have received letters from Conservative members of Parliament as well, advocating for the temporary foreign worker program.”
“Mr. Chair, we have been clear that Canadians always deserve and should be getting the jobs first. There are strict rules, and they have been tightened considerably for temporary foreign workers in a very targeted way that remains the last resort for employers to find workers. There are some businesses and communities that are still needing them. My job is to manage migration and to invest in our youth and also in—”
“Mr. Chair, under my express entry category, we continue to prioritize tradespeople such as carpenters, plumbers and machinists. We have been told that these are gaps and that the workers are needed today here in Canada, particularly as we build the country.”
“Mr. Chair, actually, I met with union leaders when I went to Sudbury a few months ago. I also meet with union leaders all the time. It is part of what I do. I think we all do that. The important thing here is that these jobs are to fill labour gaps. They are for work in rural communities, in communities where these jobs are needed. There are extreme measures that the Minister of Employment and Workforce has taken to tighten those measures.”
“Mr. Chair, I was provincial minister for eight years before now and have been a federal minister for 12 months. I understand the TEER levels, the skilled trades and construction, having come from that world. The important thing is that the measures that have been implemented are working.”
“Mr. Chair, I love to hear about skilled trades. That is something this budget is offering: lots and lots of positions for skilled trades for young people and people of all ages in terms of compensation, but we also want to attract people—”
“Mr. Chair, the member mentioned 2018, which is fabulous. I was a provincial minister and, in fact, acted as the minister of labour and advanced education in 2020. I worked very closely with the unions in my province and can speak to some of that.”
“Mr. Chair, there are two things. The first is that the department has investigated each and every case flagged. The second is that we brought in Bill C-12 , which would eliminate all the irregularities of those who filed but should not have filed.”
“Mr. Chair, in fact, the Auditor General found clear evidence of improvements in that there are fewer student visas being issued. I have already talked about the arrivals of these students. It is a significant decrease. Perhaps the member does not want any to come to the country. Perhaps she should be speaking to the universities, provinces, territories, municipalities and people—”
“Mr. Chair, I am going to point to a track record in my first year as a minister of managing migration. The first is that asylum claims have gone down 60% in early 2026 compared to 2024. The second is that new student visas were down 80% in early 2026 compared to 2024. Temporary foreign workers are down—”
“Mr. Chair, we are reducing the share of non-permanent residents, including workers, to less than 5% of Canada's population by the end of 2027. That was the mandate and commitment we made in the election. Canadians elected this government. The Prime Minister has made that a mandate that he provided to all ministers. The Parliamentary Budget Officer has confirmed we are—”
“Mr. Chair, our measures are working. We have tightened regulations. Employers in the workforce have already tightened them. It is correct that there have been 74% fewer new worker arrivals. That is down 103,160 people in the first three months of 2026, compared to 2024.”
“Mr. Chair, we all have youth in our communities and homes. We want them to have good jobs and good opportunities. Right now is a great time to bring forth that there are thousands and thousands of Canada summer jobs that are available in every single riding in this country. I would recommend to the member that—”
“That is something we are still working on with communities, community groups, members here, as well, and partners in the provinces and territories. I want to thank everyone across the system, because it is not easy. However, as I said, ours is a proud humanitarian tradition. [ English ] It requires a lot of coordination with the provinces, territories, municipalities, settlement organizations and community partners. It takes a village, as they say, to help newcomers integrate successfully, and we will keep doing that.”
“Mr. Chair, I want to thank the member for Beauport—Limoilou for the work he does in his community. As he said, back in January, I spent a great day with him and representatives of incredible community organizations working hard on the ground to welcome and support newcomers to Quebec. I especially want to thank the Centre R.I.R.E 2000, the Service de référence en perinatalité pour les femmes immigrantes de Québec, the Centre multiethnique de Québec and Découvrir ma cité. Like my colleague, our humanitarian reputation matters to me. Canada has a proud humanitarian tradition. We have responded to a lot of crises. Our approach is transparent, consistent and fair. We have to be realistic and work within our capacity.”
“We both have good jobs. We applied under the provincial nominee program. We did get our permanent residence, and we really appreciate this province and this country.” I do want to let people know that they can look at some of the other pathways.”
“Applications are processed according to the immigration levels plan. High demand, coupled with limited admission space in the immigration levels plan, has led to significant wait times. We are being transparent. We have published the stats. It is a long wait time, because we are doing them based on the immigration levels plan. However, people are also eligible for permanent residence under regular pathways, such as economic or family classes. This past weekend, I was able to spend one day in my own constituency. A couple came to me and said, “Are you the minister?” I looked, and I said, “Yes.” They said, “We came here under the Hong Kong pathway.” They were the first people I had seen on the street who stopped me like that, so it struck me. They said, “We knew that it was going to take years and years. We are both working in Nova Scotia.”
“Mr. Chair, first let me thank the member for Burnaby Central for the work that he is already doing on behalf of his constituents. I know he brings a valuable perspective here, particularly because he is also an immigrant to Canada and has lived experience. With respect to the Hong Kong pathway, Canada stands with the people of Hong Kong, and we support their human rights and freedom. We have implemented a number of measures to support immigration to Canada. Through these measures, tens of thousands of Hong Kong nationals have become temporary or permanent residents in Canada. There are two pathways. We have the permanent resident pathway. In 2021, that was established. It focused on people who were here for Canadian education and work experience. These pathways are still open, but they will close on August 31, 2026.”
“Mr. Chair, I really appreciate this discussion here tonight because it is really important. It affects a lot of people. We take that very seriously. Criminals, whether Canadians, visitors or whatever their status is in Canada, will be held responsible by the law. The courts do their best. If they are non-Canadians, the CBSA investigates. Our priority is to always protect Canadians.”
“Mr. Chair, public safety is our top priority. In fact, I was a justice minister provincially in 2013. I understand that more than anyone else. We have multiple crime bills before us in this House that that party and that member have been obstructing since we came here. We are investing in law enforcement. Our priority is to ensure that Canadians are kept safe.”
“Mr. Chair, I said that serious crimes deserve serious consequences. The CBSA has deported, as the public safety minister said today, 23,000 people. There is nothing in the immigration law that allows for discounting sentences. Sentences must be proportionate to the crime and the context. As I said, we are—”
“Mr. Chair, I recognize the member opposite had a private member's bill that was voted down. I appreciate her advocacy. We have laws. There is nothing in IRPA that allows that. If we find a person in Canada who has committed a crime and is a non-Canadian, the Canada Border Services Agency investigates, all of them, and that person could become inadmissible and removed from Canada.”
“Mr. Chair, if there is a non-Canadian in Canada who has committed an offence, the Canada Border Services Agency will investigate. If there are other reasons, I would suggest provincial policing partners as well as the courts.”
“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—”
“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.”
“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.”
“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—”
“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—”
“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.”
“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.”
“Our government remains fully committed to increasing francophone immigration outside Quebec, and we are working very hard.”
“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.”
“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—”
“Mr. Chair, the point here is that Quebec has received more than $1.1 billion to help cover the costs associated with asylum seekers. Since 2019, we have continued to work with the other provinces on distribution.”
“Mr. Chair, indeed, the number of asylum seekers has been reduced in Quebec by 71% in the last two years. We have also worked with provinces and territories. We will continue to do that to ensure that refugees are able to go to other provinces, with the help of the provinces and territories and the financial assistance of the Government of Canada.”
“Mr. Chair, I will answer in English. [ English ] As I understand it, right now at the Standing Committee on Citizenship and Immigration, there is an ongoing study about that. I very much look forward to receiving the results of that study.”
“Mr. Chair, I will start from the beginning. First, as I mentioned, we fully recognize the important role Quebec has played in welcoming asylum seekers over recent years. There is one very important point—in fact, there are several—and that is that applications have fallen by 71% compared to 2024. Furthermore, since 2019, Quebec has received over $1.1 billion to help cover the costs associated with asylum seekers. We are in constructive discussions with our counterparts in the Quebec government, and we will continue to work with them under the Canada–Quebec accord.”
“Mr. Chair, I want to thank my hon. colleague for his passion but also for his experience and for bringing us back to 2014. Again, as I said, I became minister provincially in 2013. The times were very, very different back—”
“We will continue working with provinces, territories and partners to respond to labour market needs, and we will continue to uphold Canada's humanitarian tradition while building a system that can endure. These are main estimates that work. We need a system that is controlled, sustainable, fair, secure, fiscally responsible and focused on keeping immigration working for Canada. That is the system Canadians expect. That is the system we are delivering.”
“[ Translation ] That is the system we are building: lower volume, higher integrity, more targeted choices and a clear focus on Canada's capacity and economic needs. That does not mean we are straying from our priorities and values. It means we are focusing immigration where it can have the greatest impact. Canada will continue to attract qualified workers and top talent in sectors that matter to our economy, such as health care, construction and emerging industries. [ English ] That includes physicians already here and contributing to our health care system. Through the measure I announced in December, 391 physicians have already been invited to apply for permanent residency. These are people in Canada already.”
“People move to build safer lives, to find opportunity, to reunite with family and to contribute to something larger than themselves. Around the world, migration systems are under pressure. Countries are facing the same challenge of how to respond to movement that is more complex while keeping confidence in the systems that manage it. When I was at the United Nations earlier this month, it was clear that partners are looking to Canada because we are choosing a responsible path. We are protecting the value of immigration by making the system more controlled, more sustainable and more focused on the people and skills that Canada needs. That is how we keep immigration as a strength.”
“That includes support for the asylum system, for protected persons who are already in Canada and are in the process of acquiring permanent residency and for workers who are already here and already contributing, who can help meet labour market needs in communities across the country. Integrity is crucial to fairness. A fair system protects genuine applicants, prevents fraud and misrepresentation and includes rigorous screening, identity verification and secure processing. That is why my department is strengthening the integrity of the asylum system, improving compliance, using biometrics and modernizing the tools officers need. A secure, sustainable system also needs modern services. (1915) [ English ] Let me turn to Canada's leadership in a changing world. Migration has always been part of the human story.”
“These supports help Canada meet its humanitarian obligations, support partners on the ground and help newcomers settle, contribute and reach their full potential in Canada. They help maintain the asylum system in Canada, including work to strengthen system integrity and maintain processing capacity. They improve service through modernized digital tools. The lower funding profile reflects our responsible approach, reducing where volumes are lower, where temporary measures are ending and where programs can be delivered more efficiently. [ Translation ] At the same time, this budget maintains targeted support where the system needs capacity, stability and integrity.”
“They align resources with lower immigration levels, the phasing out of temporary measures and the government's broader commitment to reduce spending, improve productivity, and focus on core priorities. [ English ] Fiscal discipline does not mean stepping away from the department's core responsibilities. These estimates continue to fund the essential work of managing migration, supporting newcomers, strengthening system integrity and improving service. They also support the planning and partnership that keep immigration organized and sustainable, including the implementation of Canada's multi-year immigration level plan and the Canada–Québec Accord. They include limited temporary health care coverage to eligible people and help for provinces and municipalities responding to temporary housing pressures linked to asylum claims.”
“These are not isolated measures; they are part of a clear plan to bring immigration back to a sustainable path, lessen pressures on our communities and keep the system focused on Canada's needs. Canadians can trust that the plan is working. (1910) [ Translation ] This work continues under the 2026‑2028 immigration levels plan and our main estimates. Together, they demonstrate that the government's immigration plan and its fiscal plan are aligned, with lower levels, strengthened integrity and funding allocated to where it will have the greatest impact. For fiscal year 2026‑27, Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada's main estimates total $4.42 billion, a decrease of 15% from the previous year. These main estimates reflect a disciplined approach to immigration spending.”
“We are making more deliberate choices on temporary workers, with new worker arrivals down 74% over the same period and pathways better targeted to high-skill and high-demand jobs, including through limits on low-wage hiring, reforms to the post-graduation work permit program and pathways for select skilled workers already contributing in Canada. Asylum claims have also dropped. Between January and March of this year, 59% fewer people submitted a claim compared to the same period in 2024. This reflects stronger front-end screening, enhanced tools to detect fraud, reforms to the international student and temporary worker programs and the passing of Bill C-12 , the Strengthening Canada’s Immigration System and Borders Act.”
“That is the work that we have been doing, and the results are clear. Permanent resident admissions are stabilized at less than 1% of Canada's population beyond 2027. The temporary resident population is on track to fall below 5% of Canada's population by the end of 2027, a target that the Parliamentary Budget Officer has independently projected Canada is on track to meet. Temporary resident arrivals are already down significantly. They are down 75% between January and March of this year compared to the same period in 2024, which includes international students. New arrivals were down 79% over the same period following measures such as the annual cap, stronger verification of letters of acceptance, higher financial requirements and the end of the student direct stream.”
“Mr. Chair, I am very pleased to be here this evening. I welcome the opportunity to highlight how the government is investing, through the main estimates, to support a strong and sustainable immigration system. [ Translation ] Canadian communities benefit from immigration, and Canada also benefits from the talent that our system attracts from around the world. Immigration supports our economy. It helps our communities grow, reunites families, addresses labour needs in key sectors and reflects our long-standing commitment to protecting people fleeing violence, persecution and forced displacement. [ English ] To achieve this, for immigration to continue to work for Canada, it must be well managed, which means a system Canadians can trust that is controlled, sustainable, fair and secure.”
“Mr. Chair, unfortunately, I did not quite hear the question. However, I can tell the member that we are working with the province of Quebec and with the members of the House who represent Quebec to maintain—”