QUESTION PERIOD — Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship
Border Security
October 1, 2026
Leader, allow me to share the most recent example of this government’s ongoing failure.
A 24-year-old man without legal status was allegedly planning an attack on behalf of the Islamic State and trying to make a chemical weapon to poison Canadians. Leader, there has been a revolving door of ministers, and immigration and border security are spiralling out of control.
My question is simple: Why was this man allowed to remain in Canada? Why did our law enforcement agencies have to arrest him at the last minute before the government even realized he was here?
Thank you for the question, Senator Housakos. The fact that law enforcement was able to intervene in time shows that the system has guardrails that are keeping Canadians safe. Thank goodness the attack never took place.
Law enforcement has the resources and the means to respond to situations like this.
Now, your question is whether we tolerate people who shouldn’t be in Canada. Clearly, the answer is no. Dozens, if not hundreds or even thousands, of people have been deported because they had no business being in Canada. All issues involving criminal offences or illegal situations are dealt with by border services on a priority basis: That’s the right thing to do.
This case was not a failure; it was a success, considering that the individual involved was arrested.
Senator Moreau, with all due respect, you are not answering my question. There could have been a terrible tragedy caused by someone who should never have been in Canada. We were spared the worst thanks to law enforcement, not your immigration system. Canadians need more than reassuring words. When will the government finally step up to the plate, take our immigration system seriously and enforce the law when it comes to the security of our borders? We cannot let these kinds of people come to Canada.
The government is taking this situation very seriously. We passed Bill C-12 earlier this year to strengthen border security. We need to stop seeing these systems as siloed systems that operate independently. Immigration officers are doing an excellent job, the government is strengthening border security, and law enforcement is taking action, conducting investigations and working to keep Canadians safe. The result is that the system is working. Could it be improved? There is always room for improvement, but I think that Canada has done an excellent job so far.
