News
MP Jenny Kwan Statement on Changes to Express Entry
The recent changes reflect the government’s elitist view that the people who make the most money are the most valuable immigrants. This offensive notion that a person’s worth is determined by their salary does not reflect the values of Canadians. Under this approach, workers who fall below the government’s high-wage threshold risk being left behind, including essential workers, caregivers, health-care workers and tradespeople whose contributions are indispensable to our communities and economy. Their value cannot be reduced to the size of a paycheque.
The government is also creating serious risks by offering up to 100 additional Express Entry points for qualifying high-wage job offers without requiring a Labour Market Impact Assessment, or LMIA. The existing LMIA system has already been plagued by fraud, including the illicit buying and selling of assessments. Removing this requirement without demonstrating that equivalent safeguards are in place raises serious concerns about the integrity of the immigration system. Instead of the LMIA process, individual immigration officers will be responsible for verifying whether job offers are genuine and employers are legitimate businesses. This will place additional demands on an already stretched system, create opportunities for fraud and risk increasing processing times.
There is another fundamental concern: without the LMIA process, the government will no longer assess through that mechanism whether Canadians are available to fill these positions. This is an important tool to assess if there is a genuine need to go outside of Canada to fill these positions.
Canada needs an immigration system that values workers fairly, protects people from exploitation and responds to genuine labour-market needs—not one that privileges high earners while leaving essential workers behind.
The government must establish clear, stable pathways to permanent residency for people already in Canada, including international graduates and temporary workers who have contributed to their communities. Immigration selection should reflect the full range of Canada's labour needs, not simply prioritize higher-wage occupations.
We are seeing a pattern of policy lurching on immigration from the Carney government that is creating confusion and chaos for people navigating the system. International students, temporary workers and families make major decisions about education, employment and their futures based on government rules. When those rules repeatedly change, people are left wondering whether their investments and contributions will still count. The government cannot keep moving the goalposts and expect people to plan their lives with confidence. Canada needs a coherent, long-term immigration strategy with predictable pathways, clear objectives and fair transition measures. The immigration system has gone backwards under the Carney government. This government has directly caused chaos on the immigration file.
Despite promises that processing would be completed in 10 days, more than 130 Palestinian students accepted into Canadian universities remain trapped in extreme delay, with some losing their admissions or risking their lives while waiting.
I issued an open letter calling on Ministers Lena Diab and Gary Anandasangaree to immediately address this crisis. The government must apply existing flexibility rules for biometrics in Gaza, conduct a second review of rejected applications relying on generic refusal reasons, and establish a dedicated mechanism to ensure fair, individualized, and timely decisions.
I am once again calling on Housing Minister Gregor Robertson to secure stable, long-term federal funding for Disability Alliance BC’s Right Fit Program.
As the only service of its kind in Canada, the Right Fit Program helps wheelchair users find accessible homes and serves as a vital homelessness-prevention line. Yet, recent federal funding cuts leave the program operating on just 38% of its Vancouver budget—leaving its future uncertain and wheelchair users without essential support during an acute housing crisis.
We cannot claim to be serious about ending homelessness while underfunding the very programs that work. I urge the government to restore full funding immediately, meet with Disability Alliance BC, and make accessible housing a permanent priority.
A coalition of Muslim organizations has joined calls for the resignation of B.C. Conservative campaign manager Katy Merrifield over past social media posts slamming Islam.
In June, Merrifield reposted a message on social media that said “Islam is a literal rape culture.” Merrifield quickly removed it and said the comment was a momentary lapse caused by her own past trauma.
But critics note she has not apologized for it, and has continued to amplify anti-Islamic statements on social media, including ones referring to New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani as a “jihad-loving mayor” and blaming Islam as a whole for the 9/11 terrorist attacks.
On Tuesday, Musa Ismail, on behalf of Unified Muslim Associations in B.C. (UMABC), said party leader Lorne Doerkson should force Merrifield out.
Ismail said that, in the absence of action by Doerkson, no Conservative candidate is welcome at any Muslim centre or mosque during the B.C. election campaign.
UMABC joins the B.C. Muslim Association, NDP Leader David Eby, NDP Surrey City Centre candidate Amna Shah and Vancouver East MP Jenny Kwan, among others, in calling for Merrifield to step down.
Kwan called Merrifield’s comments “deeply disturbing and unacceptable” and said the posts stigmatize all Muslims and send “a chilling message” to B.C.’s Muslim communities.
“At no point has Merrifield apologized or taken responsibility for the hurt she has caused,” Kwan said in a statement. “Muslims are not collectively responsible for the actions of extremists, and no one should have to fear discrimination or hostility because of their faith.”
Doerkson did not address calls for Merrifield’s resignation in his public appearances in recent days.
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MP Jenny Kwan Calls For Removal of Immigration Minister Lena Diab
Enough is enough. I am calling on Prime Minister Carney to immediately fire the Minister of Immigration, Refugee and Citizenship, Lena Diab.
We have now learned that the minister responsible for Canada’s refugee system did not appear to know about the Singh case—the landmark Supreme Court decision that established fundamental Charter protections for refugee claimants and helped lay the foundation for Canada’s refugee determination system. That is not a minor gaffe. It is a profound failure of leadership.
Sadly, this is not an isolated incident. Not only has she proven herself to be inaccessible and unresponsive to major stakeholders including her own colleagues across all parties in parliament, Minister Diab has repeatedly demonstrated a complete lack of command over her portfolio, as she lurched from one disaster to another. To just name a few examples, these include the debacle in the revocation of Lost-Canadian families' citizenship certificates and passports; the back-pedalling of her stated timeline to process Palestinian graduate student visas within 10 days; and her use of "commercial and monetized social media platforms" to drop partial details about an upcoming temporary resident to a permanent resident program creating mass public confusion, speculation and an environment for predatory actors to exploit vulnerable applicants.
Minister Diab has overseen one of the worst periods of immigration policy in Canada in decades with drastic cuts to Canada's immigration levels plan, resettlement organizations and staffing resources. Her lack of leadership coupled with IRCC 's capacity crisis has only further escalated significant processing delays causing immense undue hardship for thousands of applicants and their families. She led the draconian asylum restrictions in Bill C-12 which is now subject to an active court challenge.
This government cannot keep asking people to pay the price for its incompetence. Minister Diab has lost the confidence of many this system is supposed to serve. I stand with frontline advocates and families who are calling for an immediate reset. Prime Minister Carney should fire Minister Diab.