Immigration

We live in a time of rising global uncertainty. It is more important than ever that the Canadian immigration system can respond to arising global crises in an expedient and flexible manner. Alarmingly, this is not the case.

Even before major global refugee crises such as the Afghanistan, and Ukrainian crises, IRCC has been struggling with massive backlogs in all the immigration streams. Delayed immigration application is the most common request for assistance at my office, with some applications delayed for years! Behind the delayed applications are separated families, missed opportunities, and in some cases, immigration is a life-and-death situation for people who need to leave dangerous situations.

To start, IRCC should stop the practice of returning applications when there are minor mistakes and missing information and documents that can be easily provided by applicants. IRCC must also end oppressive immigration policies such as the inhumane cap on parent/grandparents’ sponsorship applications, closed work permits for migrant workers, and the unfair treatment of caregivers and domestic workers.

Lack of resources for IRCC is the major root cause of delayed applications. I will continue to advocate for adequate resources for IRCC to process applications in consistently reasonable timeframes and for immigration policies that are more just.

Open Letter to Immigration Minister on Vince Gasparro's authorization to band Irish band entry

Click to [ Read more ] to read Jenny's full letter

HANSARD: Petition to speed up Gaza family reunification applications

Canadian Press: NDP calls on Ottawa to do more to get approved refugees out of Gaza

OTTAWA - NDP immigration critic Jenny Kwan said Monday the government needs to do more to get people out of Gaza who applied for temporary visas through an extended family reunification program.

The program stopped accepting visa application on March 6, 2025, when the 5,000-applicant cap was reached. As of Aug. 1, just 860 people had arrived in Canada under the program.

Kwan, who held a press conference Monday in the foyer of the House of Commons alongside Palestinians whose family members are stuck in Gaza, said the government can find other ways to gather the necessary biometric data in war zones.

"There has been zero political will to try and bring people to safety. We have had situations whereby it is difficult for families to get their biometrics," Kwan said.

"So we are demanding action from the government. We want alternatives to the biometric measure, we want the government to evacuate and bring people out. We want the government and (Global Affairs Canada) to get on with it so we can negotiate exit visas."

The Canadian Press has reached out to Immigration Minister Lena Diab for comment but has not yet received a response.

Click link to read the news story - https://www.thecanadianpressnews.ca/national/ndp-calls-on-ottawa-to-do-more-to-get-approved-refugees-out-of-gaza/article_12053642-d4b5-510c-be8b-a3f180ce5286.html

CPAC Headline Politics: NDP MP Raises Concerns over Gaza Family Reunification Program

Speaking with reporters on Parliament Hill, NDP MP Jenny Kwan raises concerns about the federal government’s temporary resident visa (TRV) program for Palestinian Canadians’ family members in Gaza.

She is joined by Omar Omar (founder of the Gazan Canadians League), Najla Alzaanin (Gazan-Canadian with family members awaiting evacuation under the TRV program), Hana Marku (immigration and refugee lawyer), and Gur Tsabar (member of Jews Say No to Genocide Coalition and The Movement Media Hub). (no interpretation)

Click link to watch the press conference in Ottawa - https://www.cpac.ca/headline-politics/episode/ndp-mp-raises-concerns-over-gaza-family-reunification-program?id=bf9593e7-c636-446a-b77b-fab057086ae5

HANSARD: Tribue to John McCallum

Click below to read the full speech

HANSARD: Bill C-3 Citizenship Act debate

Click below to read the Hansard of the debate

Hill Times Jenny Kwan Op Ed: NDP keep fighting as new Liberal government’s honeymoon period comes to a close

To meet the eye-popping military spending commitment of five per cent of Canada’s GDP, there will be deep cuts to programs and services to Canadians.

Canadians elected new Liberal Leader Mark Carney as their prime minister to fight against American President Donald Trump. “Elbows Up” was the central message during the campaign, but the strategy Carney has taken so far has been to appease Trump. Counter-tariff measures are off the table. In the name of border security, government overreach that infringes our privacy and violates due process is being justified. Trump-like border and immigration measures are creeping in. Massive cuts to public services and programs are on the offer.

As Carney lay the tracks of his fiscal agenda, here’s what we have learned so far. Austerity is the name of the game, and to meet the eye-popping military spending commitment of five per cent of Canada’s gross domestic product, there will be deep cuts to programs and services to Canadians. Already, Carney has directed his ministers to cut operating spending of 7.5 per cent, 10 per cent, and 15 per cent to almost every other department over the next three years.

Hill Times: IRCC forecasts 30 per cent spending cut by 2028 amid lower immigration targets

‘It’s a giant mess,’ says MP Kwan

Earlier this year, IRCC announced its plans to cut 3,300 jobs from its workforce, citing Canada’s reduced immigration targets.

In November 2024, then-immigration minister Marc Miller (Ville-Marie—Le Sud-Ouest—Île-des-Soeurs, Que.) announced drastic cuts to the targeted number of permanent residents admitted to Canada in the next two years, and tighter rules around temporary worker permits.

NDP MP Jenny Kwan (Vancouver East, B.C.) said the Liberals are “plowing ahead” with cuts despite persistent and prolonged delays in processing immigration cases.

“As it stands in the system, the backlog is unbelievable,” said Kwan, the NDP’s immigration critic. “Families are separated, people are being persecuted, and it can’t be processed in an expeditious way. It’s a giant mess.”

Wait times for spousal sponsorship applications outside Quebec have jumped from 12 to 24 months, she said, and applications for parents and grandparents have been frozen for two years.

Refugees who are fleeing persecution, who are “in dire straits” and are privately sponsored by Canadian citizens, can face wait times of over three years.

“This is just a snapshot of some of the problems that exist within our system,” she said. “Cuts to IRCC staff will only further delay the processing, and create greater pain and anguish for the people stuck in the system.”

Maclean's: Why Canada’s New Border Policy Could Screw Over Refugees

In June, Mark Carney tabled the Strong Borders Act to combat organized crime, fentanyl trafficking and illegal firearms at the border. As with many border-related issues these days, it largely stems from the Trump administration. “There were a number of elements in the bill that have been irritants for the U.S., so we are addressing some of those issues,” said public safety minister Gary Anandasangaree.
While Bill C-2 cleared its first reading in the House of Commons, many aren’t sold on the legislation. Immigration experts say it dramatically rolls back long-standing protections for refugees and migrants, and civil rights advocates say it gives Ottawa sweeping new surveillance powers that infringe on Canadians’ Charter rights.

What are the privacy implications of these expanded powers?

They’re expanding the ability for police and spy agencies to demand information without a warrant—based merely on “reasonable suspicion.” Canada Post, for example, could open your mail. Public service providers like doctors could be compelled to hand over private details. The bill would also enable information to be shared with foreign entities just with the consent of a minister. Some experts, including member of Parliament and NDP immigration critic Jenny Kwan, have raised concerns that American anti-abortion states could use the provision to request information from Canadian abortion clinics.

CBC: $68M project to secure, revamp Canada's asylum system shut down unexpectedly, documents show

A $68-million project led by Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) that was meant to revamp Canada's outdated asylum system and enhance the integrity of the country's borders was quietly shut down last year — an "unexpected" move for some in the government because it was only partly completed, internal documents show.

Now, some critics fear the outcomes that were achieved may be more harmful than beneficial for people seeking protection in Canada.

IRCC's "asylum interoperability project" began in 2019 and was supposed to wrap up by 2022. It came during a surge of asylum seekers entering Canada, putting pressure on an already struggling system that relied heavily on paper files. Its launch followed calls for major reform.