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 are working on reducing processing times. I have already met with representatives of the Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada, who assured me that they are working very hard and efficiently. I think that Bill C-2 will help a lot.”
“Mr. Chair, I really appreciate these questions. I must point out that I have only been minister for a few weeks. It is important for me to answer my colleague's questions. I understand these issues. They are important. I think the processing time is probably related to Ukraine and Afghanistan.”
“Mr. Chair, again, this is very important. What I can say is that the department's plan is coming. My colleague is right. However, when he talks about modernizing the immigration system, we are at $134.8 million for this year.”
“Mr. Chair, to begin, I would like to thank my colleague. I greatly appreciate his co-operation. We have met once already, and I look forward to working with him to improve the situation, not only in Quebec, but also across Canada. Could my colleague repeat his question?”
“Mr. Chair, what I have said and will say again is that we have implemented stronger integrity to prevent students from being taken advantage of. We have also clarified that programs delivered through—”
“Mr. Chair, again, there is a robust system, and we have tightened those systems. We have updated the postgraduate work permit program to better respond to the needs, and we have limited the number off campus. We are working hard to ensure the international—”
“Mr. Chair, I am passionate about francophone immigration. When I was the minister of immigration and responsible for Acadian and francophone affairs in Nova Scotia, I worked very hard to increase the number of francophones in Nova Scotia. I am very proud that Canada has exceeded the targets it set for itself. We have a plan here. We have set a target of 12% francophone immigration outside Quebec by 2029.”
“Mr. Chair, I have already spoken, in my very short few weeks as a federal minister, with the provincial and territorial ministers responsible for immigration. The provincial nominee program is key to a lot of provinces because it gives them the opportunity to make decisions as to where they believe they have labour gap needs. We are here, as a federal department, to work with provinces and territories to help them ensure they can meet those needs.”
“Mr. Chair, Bill C-2 is critical for ensuring the integrity of our immigration and asylum system. We want to make sure that people around the globe know we welcome talent and welcome people to come visit, but when their time expires, we want them to go back home. If someone is a legitimate asylum seeker, we are here to protect them, but our borders are not a shortcut for people claiming asylum. These measures ensure that those who need protection most have access to it. I invite all members in the House to help us and support this bill.”
“I am also proud of the provinces and the communities within the provinces that have rallied for the last number of years not only to attract the medical personnel they need but also to retain them, to make them feel that they are home and to settle them and their family members. I am grateful for all the work they have done. I say that with pride and also humility, because I know how much work that takes on the ground. To all the provinces, municipalities, settlement service partners and, really, the communities and residents of each community, I say thanks very much. Canada really appreciates all they are doing to attract and also retain people who are coming, people who are there to have a good life for themselves and to serve Canadians, whether they are health care providers or people who work in the construction industry.”
“Mr. Chair, let me first of all thank the member for his hard work for his constituents in London Centre. We had the privilege of attending his constituency, I think two years ago, and we saw first-hand the diversity in the population he represents. I am very much looking forward to working with him as a parliamentary secretary. Going back to the labour gap demands in the country, we in the IRCC, with staff and officials, are working extremely hard to ensure that we create programs that will fit the needs of the Canadian population. In particular, the member talked about all the stats with the medical people, the doctors, nurses and medical personnel, who are coming. We are very proud of that.”
“Mr. Chair, I believe I already responded to that question when we talked about international students and housing. The facts show that rents have already started to come down in major cities, and we have—”
“Mr. Chair, we have introduced student caps. We have also worked with the institutions. The provinces are very well aware, and they are working with their universities and colleges through the designated learning institutions. We have put all kinds of limitations and expectations on the universities.”
“Mr. Chair, the member mentioned foreign students, meaning international students. We have brought in 290,000 net new arrivals in Canada through the international student program. A lot of these students are here—”
“Mr. Chair, I have done my best to answer the questions. There are times when the amount of time is limited. Members are asking very important questions, questions that Canadians rightfully asked when we went to the doors in the last campaign, which was only—”
“Mr. Chair, we are concentrating on bringing the talent that Canada needs, and that includes people in the medical world and in the construction world. Those are the targets that we are concentrating on.”
“Mr. Chair, I do not think the member really has been here throughout the whole proceedings. Estimates were tabled. We have our levels planned. We have the numbers of the different categories of people who are being brought in. We have met those—”
“Mr. Chair, we are targeting the talent that we need, including physicians and people who work in construction. There are specific programs that were designed to target bringing those individuals to our communities.”
“Mr. Chair, I would love to accept the hon. member's invitation. I just want to say that I have received so many invitations. I wish I had lots of hours in the day to be able to fulfill them, but I am going to do everything I possibly can.”
“Mr. Chair, I am not sure how many minutes I have, but I absolutely love the question. I cannot agree more. Diversity in Canada is definitely our strength. It is diversity in our culture, people and languages. I cannot wait to go back to my communities and celebrate Portuguese heritage and Filipino heritage. Actually, next weekend, in my home city of Halifax, the Filipino fiesta is happening. It is on June 21 and 22, all weekend long. To celebrate all the diverse cultures every single month is something I believe that all members of this House are proud of. All parliamentarians, regardless of the political party we come from, share that with our communities. We are very proud to protect the residents we are here to represent, together with their cultures and their heritage.”
“That is a fact. After COVID, many people came to Canada through many ways, and there was stress and strain on our system. With the crisis happening globally, the asylum system, as we know, had strain as well. The measures we are taking will achieve long-term growth. A well-managed, sustainable immigration system, where everybody has a chance to succeed, is what this government and I, as the new minister for less than four weeks, want. In fact, I was sworn in as an MP not even 15 days ago. My photo is not even up yet. We are doing what needs to be done and what Canadians voted for us to do.”
“Mr. Chair, I want to thank the hon. member for Winnipeg North for all his reflections and accurate information. Immigration is indeed key to growing our economy and strengthening our communities. I have talked to the provinces and territories since I have become a minister. They are all responsible for immigration, and believe me, they all agree on that. Canadians rightly want a robust and sustainable immigration system that sets up Canada and all who come here for success. That is the reason the 2025-27 two-year levels plan was set and does exactly that. Prior to last year, these levels plans were yearly, so I was very proud to see the former government set the two-year plan. We are reducing the number of temporary and permanent residents in the short term to alleviate the pressures on housing and infrastructure. That is the reality.”
“Mr. Chair, once again, it is not the fault of immigrants. Yes, there is an economic crisis, and we, on this side of the House, are working to reduce the number of temporary and permanent visas because we know that there is a crisis. We are continuing to work—”
“Mr. Chair, we recognize that there are challenges in our housing and infrastructure. That is why we have tabled the levels plan that works on sustainable immigration. We are reducing our permanent residency—”
“Mr. Chair, let us use the facts here; the member's numbers are totally inaccurate. There have been 290,000 net new arrivals in Canada through the international student program. I do not know where she comes up with numbers. I would contextualize the numbers that she seems to read.”
“Mr. Chair, we are working toward sustainable immigration by reducing our temporary resident numbers as well as our permanent residents. We have tabled the two-year levels plan, and it is there for the member to actually see.”
“Mr. Chair, again, the government is committed to sustainable immigration levels, so we are calibrating the volume of immigrants to help alleviate some pressure on the housing demand. As such, IRCC is stabilizing permanent residents as well as temporary admissions to less than 1% of Canada's population annually beyond 2027. We are focusing on attracting global talent from around the world in order to drive our economy and prosperity.”
“Mr. Chair, temporary residents enrich Canada's economy and cultural fabric, so the government is committed to reducing temporary immigration growth to better align with the needs of our labour market, housing supply and community capacity. In order to accomplish this, a study permit cap has been introduced, and eligibility requirements for work permits have been tightened, including a reduced intake of spouses accompanying workers and students. These measures emphasize quality over quantity, helping to ensure that Canada continues to attract the talent that it needs in order to grow and prosper. We are committed to sustainable immigration levels for Canada.”
“These covered the cost of basic health services like hospital and physician care, aligned with provincial and territorial health insurance, and limited supplemental health services, for example, mental health counselling and disability support. The coverage is also provided to specific migrant groups, including resettled refugees.”
“Mr. Chair, first of all, allow me to thank the hon. member for Moncton—Dieppe for her advocacy and for being a champion, not only for her community but for many members who have been here in Parliament, including me, for the last number of years. Through budget 2024, the government invested $411.2 million in the federal health program for 2024-25, topping up existing funding and ensuring that refugees and asylum claimants, as well as other uniquely vulnerable foreign nationals, have access to health care coverage to address urgent and essential medical needs. There was a further $232.9 million provided through the 2024-25 supplementary estimates (B). Taking into account all funding sources, the total interim federal health program allocations for 2024-25 were $896.5 million.”
“I was elected for the first time in 2021, and before becoming a minister, I had the privilege of putting forward a private member's bill to enact Lebanese Heritage Month in the month of November. I encourage all members to go back to their communities in November and celebrate the rich history of Lebanese people and of all people who come here from everywhere around the globe to call Canada home.”
“Mr. Speaker, the hon. parliamentary secretary is a member from my home province of Nova Scotia. He has been an absolute delight to work with since I was elected federally, but even prior to that when I was a member of the Nova Scotia Legislature. He reminds me often of how young he is, but there is no age in this place. We all come from such different backgrounds. The member is quite right that I am of Lebanese origin, and I really do take pride in that. I feel the responsibility on my shoulders of being the new Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship in this beautiful country of Canada, which so many over generations now call home. This country is home, and many people have built their lives here, including my family. My father came here when he was in his twenties, a long time ago.”
“Mr. Speaker, first, I would like to thank my colleague from Longueuil—Saint-Hubert for the question. It is a very good question, a crucial question. My answer is that we are taking important steps to strengthen the integrity of our immigration system while honouring our humanitarian commitments. That is why we introduced changes to ensure that our immigration system can handle such challenges now and in the future. Our system will be more efficient and will be able to process the existing backlog faster. Although people will not be able to seek asylum, they will be able to apply for a pre-removal risk assessment. That is a very important part of our system because these procedures ensure that people are not removed to a country where they could be persecuted, tortured or otherwise harmed.”
“We are listening. We are taking action. Canada is a great place to call home. We are here to ensure that everyone in Canada has all the tools needed to succeed.”
“Let me conclude by saying that immigration is essential for our country's economy and accounts for almost 100% of Canada's labour force growth. Our plan will build on support for the provinces, territories and communities while upholding our international obligations and humanitarian values. [ Translation ] Because we are reducing our immigration targets and temporarily halting immigration-driven growth, spending will decrease in this program, allowing us to redirect those funds to other initiatives. [ English ] With our new government, we are supporting the integration of newcomers while giving them a fair shot in Canada. Canadians are telling us they want immigration to work for everyone and to ensure immigrants are adequately supported from the moment they arrive in our beautiful country. That is exactly what we are doing.”
“[ English ] We have existing legal pathways to resettlement and to claim asylum, which is why this work goes hand in hand with ongoing efforts to reduce irregular crossings at the border. Canada's asylum system and refugee programs must be protected so they are fully responsive and operational for genuine claimants who need Canada's compassion and support. Overall, it is important to note that any funding increase in certain programs is offset by a decrease in other programs, such as programs where we have met our commitments or whose temporary purpose has been fulfilled. This, coupled with the refocusing of government spending to other initiatives, has helped contribute to the recovery of certain costs.”
“This government recognizes the significant pressure that increased volumes of asylum claimants have placed on provinces, territories, municipalities and community partners, which is why we put forward significant investments via the interim housing assistance program. The renewed housing program model invests in more dependable and cost-effective solutions that help build long-term capacity nationally. (1845) [ Translation ] We have also proposed investments for the provinces and territories that are resettling vulnerable and protected persons through the interim federal health program. By ensuring that these clients have access to the basic health services guaranteed to Canadians, we are helping make the integration process smoother for them, as well as for the provinces and territories where they settle.”
“As such, we will continue working with provinces, territories and municipalities to ensure that both national and regional immigration targets and objectives are met. With local labour market demand in mind, dynamic programs such as express entry Canada and the global skills strategy will ensure those with in-demand skills can accept job offers and contribute to the Canadian economy more quickly. Our relationship with Quebec is unique with regard to immigration. Through the Canada-Québec Accord, we will provide $867.3 million to Quebec to support the settlement and integration of newcomers in the province, a $92.3-million incremental increase compared to last year.”
“[ English ] This government is committed to capping temporary immigration, which includes international students and temporary workers, to under 5% of the national population by 2027. That work has already started. These main estimates also fund integrity measures that will better protect all in Canada. Biometric collection supports us in managing identities and ensuring that anyone looking to remain in Canada is properly vetted. That is why we are investing $55.5 million in a fully supported biometric collection service. To continue ensuring the safety of Canadians and all those in Canada, we will continue working with the Canada Border Services Agency, as further outlined in the strong borders act, which this government introduced last week. Immigration remains integral to our country's long-term success.”
“By investing and improving the client experience, we better equip ourselves to attract in-demand newcomers with skills that Canada most likes to have in high-need sectors such as health care and construction. At the same time, we remain committed to restoring public confidence in our immigration system. Canadians and newcomers expect a sustainable and well-managed system with clear rules that meets our long-term economic needs and operates with integrity and fairness. [ Translation ] A key component is better management of temporary immigration so that the number of new immigrants we welcome is reasonable in relation to our capacity to receive them and ensure their success.”
“Simultaneously, these estimates reflect a variety of IRCC-delivered programs that set us up as we aim to attract the talented newcomers Canada needs the most, uphold our obligations internationally and provide them with the adequate resources needed to have a shot at success while here. [ Translation ] These main estimates will enable us to meet the urgent housing needs of asylum seekers, provide essential health services to newcomers, and establish a more stable digital platform that will modernize the client experience and better address global challenges. [ English ] To that end, we are investing $134.8 million in platform modernization and digitization to deliver improved client services through online accounts, new support processes, as well as streamlining, processing and digitizing visa and permit applications.”
“[ English ] We are here today so that Canadians know how public funds are being spent and are updated on the work we are doing to ensure a well-managed immigration system. The investments we make today are vital to Canada's growth and to our future economy. [ Translation ] As outlined in the Speech from the Throne, our government is committed to restoring Canadians' confidence in a strong, efficient and responsive immigration system. [ English ] We want our immigration system to be a critical part of driving economic growth across the country. Doing so in a targeted way, we remain committed to a previously announced reduction in overall immigration levels in the next few years. That reduction is reflected in the decreased funding requested in these main estimates.”
“Mr. Speaker, it is an absolute honour to be here this evening as the minister of immigration, refugees and citizenship. I want to take a moment to really thank the constituents of Halifax West for placing their faith in me and electing me a second time as their member. I am joined this evening by the deputy minister, Dr. Harpreet S. Kochhar. I want to take a moment to thank him and all the staff who have helped me in the very short few weeks that I have had a chance to be a minister in this government and go through the transition. I have a number of comments to make, and they do relate to the estimates, which is why we are here tonight. (1840) [ Translation ] I am pleased to speak about the direct investments our government is making in immigration, refugees and citizenship in Canada through this year's main estimates.”
“Mr. Speaker, I would like to say that this new government is here to work with Canadians, and the reduction in the permanent and temporary numbers that has been forecasted was forecasted with the understanding that we do need to reduce our numbers to ensure that our infrastructure meets the challenges of today. I would like to remind members that COVID put a lot of strain and stress on all the provinces in our country and all our people, so with that in mind, let us all work together and let us all unify Canadians, unify Canada and stay strong.”
“Mr. Speaker, allow me to thank the member for Winnipeg North for not only his passion but also his accuracy in the information that he always presents to us in the House. I definitely do agree with him that this is an excellent piece of legislation, and I urge all colleagues in the House to please support it.”
“Mr. Speaker, I am well aware of the challenges facing asylum seekers. That is why we included in the legislation the one-year rule effective June 25, 2020, to make our systems comprehensive and effective. We work very well with the Province of Quebec in these situations.”
“Mr. Speaker, I believe we all agree that immigration is key to our economy in Canada and to our communities. As I said in my remarks, the date that was selected for that one-year rule, June 24, 2020, was picked specifically because that is the date that regulations came into effect to track exit data.”
“Through this legislation, the government would improve and streamline our asylum system, strengthen how we work with provinces and territories, support Canada's asylum system, and focus our decisions and resources. We would empower government to respond to changing times quickly. [ Translation ] These processes will be simpler, faster and more targeted. The proposed changes will improve public safety as well as the integrity of our government programs and services. [ English ] There would be fast, fair and final decisions so that our system meets our economic, social and humanitarian objectives. I encourage all members to support this legislation to move these critical changes forward. I also encourage Canadians to look at the language of the legislation. If members help us put in these changes, we can have a system that we are proud of.”
“[ English ] These authorities would help us protect the public interest, protecting against safety and security threats, health risks and abuse of publicly funded programs. To be clear, there is no plan to cancel the documents of any particular groups. These measures are intended to strengthen the integrity of our immigration system for the future. The use of any of these authorities would require a separate process. Decisions would have to be driven by evidence and facts and would rest with the Governor in Council, not the minister alone. There are checks and balances in the process to ensure these measures would be used in the public interest of Canadians.”
“[ Translation ] Currently, officers have the authority to cancel a visa or electronic travel authorization on a case-by-case basis following a change in the status of the holder or because the holder is no longer entitled to hold the document. [ English ] For example, if it is discovered that an application contains false statements or the applicant has a criminal record or is deceased, the agent would have the power to cancel this document. Right now, that power does not exist. [ Translation ] This power does not apply to groups of immigration documents. This legislation would help Canada better respond to global events like the pandemic by allowing Canadian authorities to suspend, amend or cancel a number of immigration documents at once.”