Humanitarian, Refugees and Foreign Affairs

STATEMENT: On Discontinuation of Refugee Family Reunification Policy

Jenny Kwan Statement on Discontinuation of Refugee Family Reunification Policy

This decision by Immigration Minister Lena Diab is deeply troubling because the government has provided no credible explanation for suddenly ending a policy that allowed refugees to reunite with family members who were not initially declared on their applications. If there were no issues identified with the policy, why was it abruptly changed? Refugees should not be punished for circumstances beyond their control, particularly when they have already endured displacement, conflict and separation from their loved ones.

It is also frankly absurd for the government to tell these families to simply apply through the humanitarian and compassionate process. The Minister knows very well that H&C applications can involve extraordinarily long processing times, meaning this is not a genuine solution for families facing prolonged separation. With H&C admissions targeted at just 1,100 people in 2026 and 1,000 in 2027, the prospect of families being reunited expeditiously is effectively negligible. Telling families in these circumstances to get in line for a severely backlogged H&C process is not family reunification—it is asking people who have already waited years to wait indefinitely. The government needs to reverse this decision and provide a fair, timely pathway for refugee families to be reunited. Minister Diab needs to explain why she has chosen to close a pathway to family reunification that was specifically designed to address gaps in the system. Canada should be making family reunification processes more administratively efficient, not marginalizing refugees even further.

Canadian Press: Ottawa won't say if people misused a now-defunct refugee residency sponsorship policy

OTTAWA — The Immigration Department refuses to say whether any applicants actually misused a refugee permanent resident sponsorship policy the government allowed to expire last week, citing “potential integrity concerns.”

The policy offered exemptions to allow certain refugees to sponsor a family member for permanent residency who was not listed on their initial application.

Without this exemption, applicants are permanently barred from sponsoring family members for permanent residency if they were not declared on their original application.

Advocates and academics who pushed for the policy said it was most commonly used to sponsor children — including some who had not been born when an application was first made — and LGBTQ2S+ partners in countries where those relationships are criminalized.

Jenny Kwan, the NDP’s immigration critic, said refugees trying to come to Canada should not be punished for circumstances beyond their control. She said the government has offered “no credible explanation” for the policy’s termination.

“They quietly shut it down, and now it is going to have, I have no doubt, significant implications for refugee families in that reunification,” Kwan said.

“So they’re not broadcasting it, it means that they’re not proud of it.”

The Canadian Press asked again Wednesday if anyone had actually misused the seven-year old policy.

“We have nothing further to add,” a department spokesperson said.

“It’s fair to say that Canadians expect immigration programs to be applied as intended. And we take seriously our responsibility to put in place policies that people can trust and that serve them well.”

Kwan said ending this policy will have serious consequences for refugee families.

“I have met refugee families who did not know that their young child, as an example, was still alive. They came to Canada and the young child was not part of that application because they thought that they had lost their child. They thought that the child was dead,” Kwan said.

“These things happen because people are displaced. They’re in sometimes a war environment in conflict, they get separated from their loved ones, they don’t even know that possibly their loved ones could still be alive.”

*Click image or link to read the news story - https://www.cp24.com/news/canada/2026/09/16/ottawa-wont-say-if-people-misused-a-now-defunct-refugee-residency-sponsorship-policy/

CBC News: This Afghan says Canada is abandoning her in a country where it feels like it's a 'mistake' to be a woman

Appeal made to Carney after endorsement for special immigration program proves futile

"They make you feel that it is a mistake to be a woman in Afghanistan." 

Those are the words of a young woman in Kabul describing life in the Afghan capital five years after the chaotic exit of U.S.-led NATO troops made way for the return of Taliban rule in August 2021.

Since then, under the fundamentalist dictates of the self-declared Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan, roughly 22 million women and girls have witnessed what rights they did enjoy stripped away.

"It started with a ban on schools, then going to markets, going to travel, then jobs, universities," said the woman. "[It feels] like you have to get permission to breathe even." 

To protect her from any potential repercussions from this interview or for her previous work for Canadian-funded projects in Afghanistan, I will refer to her as X. 

Over the past five years, the Taliban have issued dozens of edicts aimed at suppressing women.  

They are forbidden from being outside without a male guardian, from holding most jobs and studying beyond primary school. They're not allowed to visit parks or playgrounds or gyms or salons or even raise their voices in public.

In 2022, the NDP's immigration critic at the time, MP Jenny Kwan, alleged that the government had lost 2,900 SIMs applications.  

There is also anecdotal evidence of others having their applications disappear into a bureaucratic black hole.  

*Click image or link to read the full news story - https://www.cbc.ca/news/world/afghan-woman-immigration-plea-to-canada-9.7338709

 

Can Man VIDEO: Jenny Kwan Slams Both Liberals and Conservatives

Veteran Member of Parliament Jenny Kwan joins CanMen for an in-depth conversation about the future of Canada’s immigration system, the direction of the Carney government, and the growing political divide over immigration. In this exclusive interview, Jenny Kwan shares her views on the Liberal government’s immigration policies, the Conservative Party’s approach, parliamentary accountability, and why she believes Canada’s immigration system needs urgent reform. We also discuss: 

• The future of Canada’s immigration policies 
• The Hong Kong Pathway and its ongoing challenges
• Immigration processing delays and backlogs
• Government accountability and transparency
• The role of Parliament under Prime Minister Mark Carney
• What these issues mean for newcomers and Canadians alike 

Whether you’re interested in Canadian politics, immigration, or public policy, this interview provides valuable insight into one of the country’s most important national conversations.

*Click image or link to watch the interview video - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gno10aLlxZc

HOUSE VIDEO: Questions Immigration Minister Diab on Immigration File

Getting clear data out of this Immigration Minister is like pulling teeth.

During committee, I asked simple, direct questions about the Safe Third Country Agreement and our immigration backlogs. Instead of transparency, we got non-answers, canned talking points, and a complete evasion of the facts.

If you can't manage your own file or answer basic questions about it, you shouldn't be running the department. No wonder MPs are calling for her to resign.

*Click image or link to watch the video - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mtqqAfC8Bqk&t=55s

City News: Demonstrators hold rally for Hong Kong residents facing PR processing backlog

The rally is organized by the Hong Kong Pathway Alliance. Similar events are also taking place in Calgary and Toronto.

The pathway allows eligible Hong Kong residents in Canada, including people who studied or worked here, to apply for PR.

People here say they have waited for years and still do not know when their applications will be finished.

“Right now I’m stuck in limbo. It’s been a year and a half. I haven’t heard back from the IRCC regarding my application, and we’re continuously arguing with, we’re continuously hoping that IRCC sees our cases,” said Vikrambir Singh, another demonstrator.

“There’s not just me, there’s 40,000 plus applications that are stuck in limbo, and we don’t know when they’re going to get processed.”

They also point to Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada’s (IRCC) processing time tool, which now suggests new applicants could wait more than 10 years for their PR.

The Immigration Minister recently told Parliament that there have been more than 46,000 applications under the Hong Kong PR pathways, and just over 13,000 had arrived.

“And the minister’s solution is, “don’t apply under the lifeboat scheme”. What is she even talking about? That scheme was specifically designed for Hong Kongers, said MP Jenny Kwan, representing Vancouver East for the NDP.

“So, it is absolutely outrageous that she would renege on the government’s promise in suggesting that the Hong Kongers should apply under a different stream. It is absolutely unacceptable.”

The federal government introduced special measures for Hong Kong residents in 2020, after China imposed the national security law in Hong Kong.

*Click image or link to read or watch the TV news story - https://vancouver.citynews.ca/2026/06/07/demonstrators-rally-hong-kong-pr-processing-backlog/

 

HANSARD: Questioning Immigration Minister on HK Pathway applications

HANSARD: Questioning the Immigration Minister on the US Safe Third Country Agreement

HANSARD: Present petition about prolonged security screening delays for PR applicants

Media Release: MP Jenny Kwan, Health-Care Workers and Advocates Condemn Discriminatory Federal Fees for Refugee Health Care

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

MP Jenny Kwan, Health-Care Workers and Advocates Condemn Discriminatory Federal Fees for Refugee Health Care

OTTAWA, ON — April 22, 2026 — Member of Parliament Jenny Kwan, alongside frontline health-care professionals and advocates from across Canada, today denounced the federal government’s planned co-payment measures under the Interim Federal Health Program (IFHP), warning the policy will restrict access to essential care for refugee claimants and ultimately increase costs to the health-care system at a press conference on Parliament Hill.

MP Kwan was joined by Sara Habibyar, a former refugee and healthcare worker; Dr. Edward Xie, an emergency room physician; Dr. Vanessa Reddit and Dr. Manal Badi, family physicians; Ilda Azzam, a social worker and psychotherapist; Dr. Nazila Bettache, an internal medicine specialist; and Dr. Charles Hui, a pediatric infectious disease specialist.

The changes, set to take effect on May 1, will require refugee claimants to pay a $4 fee per prescription and 30% of the cost of supplemental services such as dental, vision, and mental health care. The IFHP provides temporary health coverage to refugees and asylum seekers before they are eligible for provincial or territorial health insurance.

The announcement comes amid growing national opposition, including coordinated rallies and a cross-country “Day of Action” held in multiple cities. Health-care professionals, legal advocates, and refugee support organizations have warned that even modest co-payments can create significant barriers for individuals already facing financial hardship.

"This policy punishes people who have already endured immense hardship by placing new financial barriers between them and the care they need,” said Kwan. “It is fundamentally at odds with Canada’s commitment to equitable and accessible health care.”

Evidence from Canada and internationally shows that co-payment systems reduce access to medications and preventive care, particularly for low-income populations. Health experts warn that this can lead to worsening health conditions, increased emergency room visits, and higher long-term system costs.

"We know exactly what happens when people cannot afford care—they delay treatment, their conditions worsen, and they end up needing more intensive and expensive interventions,” Kwan said. “This does not reduce costs; it shifts them in ways that increase human suffering and strain our public health system.”

Advocates also point to the broader policy context, noting recent federal efforts to reduce public spending and tighten immigration measures. The co-payment changes have raised concerns about a pattern of policies that disproportionately impact refugees and migrants at a time when many are already struggling with the high cost of living and the challenges of resettlement.

Legal and medical experts have further cautioned that similar cuts to refugee health coverage in 2012 were struck down by the Federal Court of Canada as “cruel and unusual treatment,” underscoring the potential constitutional and ethical implications of the current policy.

Despite assurances that core services—such as doctor visits, hospital care, and diagnostic testing—will remain fully covered, health-care providers stress that access to medications and supplemental services is essential to preventing more serious health issues.

"A universal health-care system cannot pick and choose who gets meaningful access to care,” Kwan added. “We must not create a two-tier system that leaves refugees and asylum seekers behind.”

MP Kwan called on the federal government to immediately rescind the discriminatory measures and work collaboratively with health-care providers, advocates, and affected communities to strengthen equitable access to care.

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