Immigration Minister Faces Heated Exchange Over Policy Cuts

Immigration Minister Lena Diab faced a tense session with Conservative critic Michelle Rempel Garner at a House of Commons committee on Thursday. The exchange covered everything from immigration levels and visa extensions to the handling of non-citizen criminals.

Rempel Garner challenged Diab over the government’s pending C-12 legislation, which could allow mass suspension or changes to immigration documents. Diab said the law is not meant to extend visas but did not provide details on its potential use. The conversation became heated, with Rempel Garner accusing Diab of providing "word salad" responses, to which Diab replied with a lighthearted comment about preferring Lebanese salads like fattoush and tabbouleh.

The committee also discussed cases of non-citizen criminals receiving lenient sentences, with Rempel Garner questioning Diab on the government’s role in deportations. Diab emphasized that sentencing decisions are made independently by the courts but assured that foreign criminals would be removed when appropriate.

The meeting began with committee chair Julie Dzerowicz reading a letter from Diab’s deputy minister highlighting instances of bullying and harassment of public servants after testifying. The letter warned against posting decontextualized clips of testimonies online, citing security risks for staff.

Diab’s main focus was the government’s revised immigration targets, including cuts to temporary residents and modest reductions in permanent residents to ensure "sustainable, predictable levels." Permanent resident admissions will stabilize at 380,000 per year for three years, down from 395,000 in 2025, while temporary resident targets will drop by about 45% from 673,650 in 2025 to 370,000 in 2027 and 2028. The adjustments follow concerns about post-COVID integration capacity and declining public support for higher immigration.