Conservatives push for tighter asylum rules as border bill clears committee
Conservative MPs are urging the federal government to adopt what they call “common-sense” reforms to Canada’s asylum and immigration system.
Conservative MPs are urging the federal government to adopt what they call “common-sense” reforms to Canada’s asylum and immigration system after a series of proposed amendments to Bill C-12 were rejected at committee this week.
The House of Commons public safety committee concluded its consideration in the committee phase on Friday.
In response, Conservative immigration critic Michelle Rempel Garner said the Liberal government has “destroyed the immigration consensus” by allowing backlogs to grow, permitting “bogus applications,” and relying on courts to resolve problems.
Rempel Garner said the number of temporary residents — now more than three million — has placed “overwhelming” pressure on health care, housing and youth employment, while leaving newcomers who followed the rules “stuck waiting in the queue.”
Conservatives proposed amendments they argued would deter fraudulent asylum claims, strengthen removal rules for non-citizens who commit crimes, and increase reporting requirements so “Canadians can judge the system for themselves.”
Liberal and Bloc Québécois members defeated most of the amendments.
Among the rejected proposals were automatic removal for non-citizens convicted of certain offences, terminating asylum claims if applicants leave Canada, consequences for post-secondary institutions that facilitate false asylum claims, and measures requiring claimants to prove they filed promptly.
Some Conservative amendments did pass, including automatic termination of a claim when an asylum seeker voluntarily returns to their home country, mandatory warrants for individuals considered national security risks, and the end of claims where a person is found inadmissible.
Other reporting measures also received cross-party support. These include a new monthly report to Parliament detailing deportations, and an expanded annual report listing federal benefits provided to refugee claimants, the number of removal orders enforced within 30 days, and reasons for delays.
Rempel Garner said the reforms remain insufficient and called on the government to “listen to Canadians” and implement broader changes.
“The time for meaningful reform is long overdue,” she said.