CORRECTED: Trudeau Government Refuses to Fix Asylum System They Broke
There has been a 2000 percent increase of asylum claims from Mexico to Canada after the Trudeau Liberals dropped visa requirements in 2016.
This past week at the parliamentary immigration committee, I sounded the alarm bells on the continuing rise of asylum claims from Mexico, especially at our international airports. In 2016, the Liberals lifted the visa requirement on travellers from Mexico. After that 2016 announcement, travellers from Mexico only had to fill out an electronic travel authorization (ETA), which is a digital system designed for trusted countries with travellers with low rates of problems flagged for security, criminality or other related issues. You can find a complete list of these countries here: Electronic travel authorization - Canada.ca.
Asylum claims have risen exponentially from a couple of hundred in 2016 to tens of thousands of claims, many of which are being rejected by the arms-length tribunal that reviews asylum claims. A good deal of these claims are being made at the Montreal International Airport, which has caused grave concerns about the overwhelmed social, health and other services in that city. But the problem is broad.
When confronted at the parliamentary immigration committee, the Liberal immigration minister could not explain what was done after the visa was lifted to ensure this would not happen. I reminded the Liberal minister that the Liberal government claimed systems and programs would be put into place to monitor the situation. He could not answer the question. So let’s dive deeper into the issue.
Increase of Asylum Seekers from Mexico
Last month, the Immigration and Refugee Board (IRB) published annual data revealing a sharp increase in nationals from Mexico seeking asylum in Canada over the past seven years.
In 2016, the IRB received only 250 asylum claims from Mexico. In 2023, that number reached 17,490. That is an over 2000 percent increase. Of that figure from 2023, only 11 percent of those claims were processed, 16 percent were rejected, abandoned or withdrawn, while the rest are still awaiting a decision. Only data up to September was available at the time this data was checked on their website.
The data also reveals that while asylum claims steadily decreased during the COVID-19 pandemic, they dramatically increased from 3,321 in 2021 to 7,483 in 2022 before more than doubling again in 2023.
So why did this happen?
The answer goes back to 2016, when the Trudeau government dropped visa requirements for nationals from Mexico seeking entry into Canada.
At that time, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau claimed that this policy would “help encourage travel between the two countries while preventing any increase in asylum claims or other irregular migration.” Not only was this an empty promise, but Trudeau's policy has seriously burdened the government’s ability to process asylum claims. The average processing time for a claim is around 2.5 years, leading to uncertainty and often precarious work and living situations that open persons seeking the protection of Canada to abuse by human traffickers and criminal networks who prey on vulnerable people.
There is a lot at stake here. There are people vulnerable to exploitation by human traffickers and criminal networks. The IRB is overwhelmed with asylum claims to process and there are important international relations for us to navigate with the Government of Mexico, but also with our U.S. counterparts who have been pressing the Liberal government to re-impose the visa requirement and secure our international air borders. (U.S. asks Canada to reimpose visa requirements for Mexico to stem surge of crossings at northern border — CBC News)
In response to the Trudeau government’s incompetence, Conservative leader Pierre Poilievre has called on them to fix the mess they created immediately.
“Common sense Conservatives are calling on the Trudeau Government to reintroduce the visa requirement in order to prevent further abuse of the asylum system,” Poilievre stated. He also raised concerns that organized criminal gangs were using this broken system to engage in human trafficking.
Watch my exchange with the liberal immigration minister:
Stopping Car Theft
Since 2015, car thefts have increased by an astonishing 300 percent in Toronto, 100 percent in Montreal and Ottawa, and more than a third across the country. A consequence of these thefts is that it makes life more unaffordable for Canadians, who are already struggling with other high living costs. For example, in 2022, car thefts cost the insurance industry more than $1 billion, which is ultimately paid for by Canadians through higher car insurance premiums.
Furthermore, Canadian border agents are severely understaffed and underfunded at our federal ports, allowing criminals to ship those stolen cars overseas easily. The Liberal government’s soft-on-crime policies have contributed to this dramatic auto-theft wave, including Bill C-75, which allows repeat offenders to be released on bail within hours of arrest, where they often go out and re-offend.
Conservatives proposed a plan to stop car thefts this past week by ending catch-and-release for auto thieves and securing our federal ports.
More information below:
Meeting with Inter-Parliamentary Alliance on China (IPAC)
On Tuesday, fellow MPs and I met with executive director Luc de Pulford of the Inter-Parliamentary Alliance on China, an international cross-party group consisting of over 350 legislators from 33 countries working towards reforming how democratic countries approach China. It includes both left, right, and centre legislators who agree that we need to do more to counter attempts by the People’s Republic of China to engage in political actions that target diaspora groups in our countries, undermine our democratic norms and engage in mercantilist economic behaviour that harms our domestic markets. Topics discussed included:
The ongoing Taiwan tensions.
Foreign interference.
Misinformation.
The Chinese Communist Party’s sham trial of U.K. citizen Jimmy Lai.
Tribute to William Gairdner
In Parliament on Wednesday, I paid tribute to William (Bill) Gairdner, a remarkable Canadian who passed away last month at 83. Gairdner was an athlete who won silver in the decathlon at the 1963 Pan Am Games in Sao Paulo, later competing at the 1964 Olympics in Tokyo and in the Commonwealth Games in 1966 and 1970. He also lectured at an Ontario university, was a philanthropist through his family foundation and a successful businessman. It was a life well lived along with his wife Jean and their many children and grandchildren.
Following his athletic career, Gairdner became a conservative writer, authoring influential books, such as The Trouble with Canada: A Citizen Speaks Out (1990) and The War Against Family: A Parent Speaks Out (1992). Gairdner also co-founded Civitas, a conservative Canadian society committed to the “principles and traditions of a free and ordered society.” Every Canadian conservative in Canada at some point would have read one of his books or articles; he gave a uniquely Canadian perspective on the current affairs of the day.
Rest In Peace.
Charity Event in Calgary: Tallyn’s 6th Annual Charity Birthday Skate
This Sunday, February 11, eight-year-old Tallyn Spring will be raising funds for the Alberta Children’s Hospital Neurosurgery Department.
Tallyn’s older sister, Lette, was born with cerebral palsy and epilepsy, experiencing seizures every day. Over the past six years, Lette has had nine surgeries, including three on her brain, in an effort to control the seizures. Inspired by her sister’s happy attitude and courage, Tallyn has been raising money for neurosurgery since she was three years old.
This is now Tallyn’s sixth year of raising money, and she has cumulatively raised over $12,000. Tallyn’s skating party will also have some special guests as six members of the Calgary Hitman will be on the ice with participants.
This is a great cause and I know many parents (including myself) are thankful for the specialists and expertise available at the Alberta Children’s Hospital. Please consider joining me in donating to this wonderful charity.
More information about the event:
Date: Sunday February 11, 2024
Location: Cardel Rec Centre, Arena Four. 333 Shawville Blvd SW.
Time: 2:15pm-3:30pm
Skate with Calgary Hitmen players, by donation
All proceeds go to the Alberta Children's Hospital Neurosurgery
Donation link: Tallyn Spring's fundraising page for Alberta Children's Hospital Foundation https://my.childrenshospital.ab.ca/fundraiser/5167249