Ottawa, ON – Today, Michelle Rempel Garner, Conservative Shadow Minister for Immigration, and Brad Redekopp, Conservative Associate Shadow Minister for Immigration, called for immediate federal action to crack down on non-citizens who commit serious crimes exploiting loopholes in Canada’s asylum system while enjoying better health care than many Canadians.
“Canadians are watching extortion rise while serious offenders claim asylum to delay removal,” said Redekopp. “This is not compassionate, it’s reckless. Canadians deserve safe streets and a fair system that puts victims and taxpayers first.”
Under the Liberals, Canada’s immigration system is ripe for abuse, allowing bad actors to enter our country and target law-abiding Canadians. It’s time we focused on the victims of crime and closed the loopholes that allow non-citizens who commit serious crimes to terrorize our neighbourhoods.
Just in the Lower Mainland of BC, we have seen a daily slew of incidents of extortion being committed by non-Canadians. Small businesses are being handed demands, then shot up. This then escalates to the business owners themselves being targeted, resulting in extortion-related shootings and even murders.
When these non-citizen criminals are caught, they claim asylum to delay justice for the victims, while at the same time receiving generous healthcare benefits. This growing crisis has caused BC NDP Premier David Eby to weigh in, calling our current asylum system “ludicrous” for allowing this to happen.
That’s why Conservatives were disappointed when Mark Carney chose to vote against a motion to bar non-citizens facing serious crimes from making refugee claims – a status quo Canadians find indefensible.
Redekopp also highlighted the Parliamentary Budget Officer’s findings released yesterday, projecting that the Interim Federal Health Program will cost taxpayers nearly $1 billion this year.
“At a time when Canadians are struggling to access basic care, it’s unacceptable that the Liberals have expanded federal coverage with weak oversight and runaway costs,” Redekopp concluded. “The Canadians who actually pay into the system should not come second. It is time to restore justice to Canada’s immigration laws and end the loopholes that allow foreign criminals to thrive in our country.”