QUESTION PERIOD — Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship
Asylum Seekers
November 19, 2024
Senator Gold, as I pointed out two weeks ago, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has finally come back down to Earth and lowered immigration thresholds. However, the damage has already been done and is irreversible.
Meanwhile, south of the border, President-elect Donald Trump plans to deport 11 million immigrants as soon as he takes office in January.
Does the Prime Minister have a plan to deal with the potential arrival of a large contingent of uncontrolled and possibly criminal foreign nationals in Canada? Will we welcome them with open arms, at the expense of Canadian taxpayers?
Thank you for the question. With respect, Senator Dagenais, the Government of Canada has acted responsibly to balance the number of immigrants. With regard to your question, it’s too early to discuss the government’s plans for dealing with possible or hypothetical changes. The government has long been aware of all the issues relating to our partner to the south, and will continue to act in Canada’s interest.
The Canada Border Services Agency has just announced that certain border crossings between Canada and the United States, including 10 in Quebec, will be closing in the evening and overnight. Can you explain how Canadians are supposed to take your government seriously when it says it’s doing everything it can to control illegal entries at Canada’s borders, while at the same time deciding to close border crossings?
The Government of Canada has made a lot of investments to secure our borders and will continue to do so. The administrative changes that you mentioned have nothing to do with this government’s unwavering commitment to defending our borders.
