Non-citizens convicted of crimes should face the same consequences as everyone else.
Ottawa, ON – This afternoon, the Liberals voted to keep a loophole that lets non-citizens who commit heinous crimes like extortion, murder, and rape falsely claim refugee status, dragging out the process and keeping them in Canada longer.
Since 2015, extortion has exploded by over 330 per cent. Liberal catch-and-release laws let extortionists back onto our streets after Liberal immigration policies let too many criminals into our country in the first place. This isn’t some abstract statistic. It’s homes being shot at while families sleep. It’s small businesses trying to make payroll being threatened. It’s neighbourhoods living in fear that they’re next.
To stop the growing extortion crisis, Conservatives moved a motion with real, common-sense solutions to protect innocent Canadians. It called on the government to:
- Bar non-citizens convicted of serious crimes from making refugee claims;
- Bar non-citizens with active judicial proceedings related to serious crimes from making refugee claims;
- End the practice of leniency to non-citizens convicted of serious crimes to avoid deportation; and
- Repeal bills C-5 and C-75 to ensure repeat extortionists stay in jail.
These measures build on additional Conservative proposals, including Bill C-220 from Michelle Rempel Garner, the Conservative Shadow Minister for Immigration, to end two-tier sentencing and sentencing discounts based on immigration status. She has also called for rules to prevent those accused of serious crimes from using asylum claims to delay justice, after NDP Premier David Eby called for changes to the law.
Conservatives have pushed the government to move faster and further to keep Canadians safe, including asking to move the government’s own Bill C-14 forward 20 times after Liberals blocked their own legislation. But once again, the Liberal Party of Canada voted against real solutions from the opposition to address the crises Canadians are facing.
The Official Opposition will keep putting forward common-sense proposals to restore a justice system that protects Canadians and delivers safe streets.