Bill C-12

Strengthening Canada's Immigration System and Borders Act

An Act respecting certain measures relating to the security of Canada's borders and the integrity of the Canadian immigration system and respecting other related security measures

Part 1 amends the Customs Act to provide the Canada Border Services Agency with facilities free of charge for carrying out any purpose related to the administration or enforcement of that Act and other Acts of Parliament and to provide officers of that Agency with access at certain locations to goods destined for export. It also includes transitional provisions.
Part 2 amends the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act to create a new temporary accelerated scheduling pathway that allows the Minister of Health to add precursor chemicals to Schedule V to that Act. It also makes related amendments to the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act (Police Enforcement) Regulations and the Precursor Control Regulations .
Part 3 amends the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act and the Cannabis Act to confirm that the Governor in Council may, on the recommendation of the Minister of Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness, make regulations exempting members of law enforcement from the application of any provision of the Criminal Code that creates drug-related inchoate offences when they are undertaking lawful investigations.
Part 4 amends the Oceans Act to provide that coast guard services include activities related to security and to authorize the responsible minister to collect, analyze and disclose information and intelligence.
Part 5 amends the Department of Citizenship and Immigration Act to authorize the Minister of Citizenship and Immigration to disclose, for certain purposes and subject to any regulations, personal information under the control of the Department within the Department and to certain other federal and provincial government entities.
It also amends the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act to authorize the making of regulations relating to the disclosure of information collected for the purposes of that Act to federal departments and agencies.
Part 6 amends the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act to, among other things,
(a) eliminate the designated countries of origin regime;
(b) authorize the Minister of Citizenship and Immigration to specify the information and documents that are required in support of a claim for refugee protection;
(c) authorize the Refugee Protection Division of the Immigration and Refugee Board to determine that claims for refugee protection that have not yet been referred to the Refugee Protection Division have been abandoned in certain circumstances;
(d) provide the Minister of Citizenship and Immigration with the power to determine that claims for refugee protection that have not yet been referred to the Refugee Protection Division have been withdrawn in certain circumstances;
(e) require the Refugee Protection Division and the Refugee Appeal Division to suspend certain proceedings respecting a claim for refugee protection if the claimant is not present in Canada;
(f) clarify that decisions of the Immigration and Refugee Board must be rendered, and reasons for those decisions must be given, in the manner specified by its Chairperson; and
(g) authorize regulations to be made setting out the circumstances in which the Minister of Citizenship and Immigration or the Minister of Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness must designate, in relation to certain proceedings or applications, a representative for persons who are under 18 years of age or who are unable to appreciate the nature of the proceeding or application.
It also includes transitional provisions.
Part 7 amends the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act to, among other things,
(a) authorize the Governor in Council to make an order specifying that certain applications made under that Act are not to be accepted for processing, or that the processing of those applications is to be suspended or terminated, when the Governor in Council is of the opinion that it is in the public interest to do so;
(b) authorize the Governor in Council to make an order to cancel, suspend or vary certain documents issued under that Act, or to impose or vary conditions, when the Governor in Council is of the opinion that it is in the public interest to do so;
(c) for the application of an order referred to in paragraph (b), require a person to appear for an examination, answer questions truthfully and produce all relevant documents or evidence that an officer requires; and
(d) authorize the Governor in Council to make regulations prescribing circumstances in which a document issued under that Act can be cancelled, suspended or varied, and in which officers may terminate the processing of certain applications made under that Act.
Part 8 amends the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act to add two new grounds of ineligibility for claims for refugee protection as well as powers to make regulations respecting exceptions to those new grounds. It also includes a transitional provision respecting the retroactive application of those new grounds.
Part 9 amends the Proceeds of Crime (Money Laundering) and Terrorist Financing Act to, among other things,
(a) increase the maximum administrative monetary penalties that may be imposed for certain violations and the maximum punishments that may be imposed for certain criminal offences under that Act;
(b) replace the existing optional compliance agreement regime with a new mandatory compliance agreement regime that, among other things,
(i) requires every person or entity that receives an administrative monetary penalty for a prescribed violation to enter into a compliance agreement with the Financial Transactions and Reports Analysis Centre of Canada (the Centre),
(ii) requires the Director of the Centre to make a compliance order if the person or entity refuses to enter into a compliance agreement or fails to comply with such an agreement, and
(iii) designates the contravention of a compliance order as a new violation under that Act;
(c) require persons or entities referred to in section 5 of that Act, other than those already required to register, to enroll with the Centre; and
(d) authorize the Centre to disclose certain information to the Commissioner of Canada Elections, subject to certain conditions.
It also makes consequential and related amendments to the Retail Payment Activities Act and the Proceeds of Crime (Money Laundering) and Terrorist Financing Administrative Monetary Penalties Regulations and includes transitional provisions.
Part 10 amends the Office of the Superintendent of Financial Institutions Act to make the Director of the Financial Transactions and Reports Analysis Centre of Canada a member of the committee established under subsection 18(1) of that Act. It also amends the Proceeds of Crime (Money Laundering) and Terrorist Financing Act to enable the Director to exchange information with the other members of that committee.
Part 11 amends the Sex Offender Information Registration Act to, among other things,
(a) make certain changes to a sex offender’s reporting obligations, including the circumstances in which they are required to report, the information that must be provided and the time within which it is to be provided;
(b) provide that any of a sex offender’s physical characteristics that may assist in their identification may be recorded when they report to a registration centre;
(c) clarify what may constitute a reasonable excuse for a sex offender’s non-compliance with the requirement to give at least 14 days’ notice prior to a departure from their residence for seven or more consecutive days;
(d) authorize the Canada Border Services Agency to disclose certain information relating to a sex offender’s arrival in and departure from Canada to law enforcement agencies for the purposes of the administration and enforcement of that Act;
(e) authorize, in certain circumstances, the disclosure of information collected under that Act if there are reasonable grounds to believe that it will assist in the prevention or investigation of a crime of a sexual nature; and
(f) clarify that a person who discloses information under section 16 of that Act with the belief that they are acting in accordance with that section is not guilty of an offence under section 17 of that Act.
It also makes a related amendment to the Customs Act .

Strengthening Canada's Immigration System and Borders Act

[The Deputy Speaker, Tom Kmiec]

Resuming debate, the hon. member for Essex.

[Chris Lewis, Conservative, Essex, ON]

Mr. Speaker, it is always an honour to rise on behalf of the amazing folks of the riding of Essex. I will be sharing my time this morning with the member for Aurora—Oak Ridges—Richmond Hill.

I do not get a lot of opportunities to speak in the House because we have so many more Conservative members, but every time I do get a chance to speak, I always want to give all praise, honour and glory to our Lord and Saviour.

I would like to begin by expressing my sincere gratitude to the dedicated men and women of the Canada Border Services Agency. These officers are the front line of our national security. Their work is demanding, and their commitment is unwavering. For all they do, they deserve clear policies, proper resources and respect, not vague directives and unchecked government powers.

As the member of Parliament for Essex, I represent a riding that sits at the heart of one of Canada's most vital economic corridors, the Detroit-Windsor border. In Essex, we understand the importance of secure borders. We live it every day. We also understand the opportunities and the challenges that come with living next to the border. That is why I stand today to speak to Bill C-12.

This legislation claims that it would enhance border enforcement and streamline immigration processes, but as someone who represents a border community, I must ask this: Would this bill truly serve the interests of Canadians, especially those of us living at the border? In its current form, the answer is no.

Conservatives have long called for improvements to border security and our broken immigration system. Bill C-12 may be a starting point, but it requires significant amendments. It must include clearer definitions of ministerial powers and ensure that exporters are not burdened with added compliance costs.

We know that economic prosperity and responsible immigration go hand in hand. When one system fails, the other suffers. That is why we support efforts to modernize enforcement and crack down on organized crime, fentanyl trafficking and immigration fraud. These are real threats, and we are glad the government has recognized them, but we must be vigilant in how these reforms are implemented.

Let us be honest. The immigration system did not break itself. It was broken by years of Liberal mismanagement. The backlog of applications, the lack of transparency and the inconsistent enforcement all stem from a government that has failed to plan, failed to listen and failed to act. Now, with Bill C-12, the Liberals are scrambling to fix the very system they dismantled, but instead of thoughtful reform, they are reaching for sweeping powers and vague regulations. That is not leadership; it is damage control.

We must acknowledge that this bill has serious shortcomings that must be addressed before it is allowed to impact the lives of Canadians. Conservatives believe in strong borders. We believe not only in protecting Canadians from illegal activity, trafficking and threats to public safety, but also in accountability, transparency and respect for individual rights.

My office regularly hears from constituents about the real-world impacts of federal decisions, such as delays at the Ambassador Bridge, astronomical fees on exports and frustrations with immigration and enforcement. Bill C-12 would grant sweeping new powers to the government, which would only add to these frustrations, with limited parliamentary oversight. That should concern every Canadian, especially those of us in border communities.

It is deeply ironic that the Liberals show little concern about violent repeat offenders who remain in Canada after receiving lighter sentences than their crimes deserve, yet they seek the power to cancel or suspend valid visas of permanent residents who have followed due process and contribute meaningfully to our country. The bill also fails to outline how new regulations would be enforced. This raises a troubling question: Is this legislation simply a way for the government to claim it is fixing the immigration system it broke without taking real action?

Conservatives believe in responsible immigration that prioritizes economic needs and family reunification. We support measures that streamline processing, reduce backlogs and help newcomers integrate successfully, but we oppose policies that put power in the hands of ministers without proper oversight. Furthermore, Bill C-12 contains provisions that could unintentionally harm Canadian exporters. There are implications of increased processing times, additional expenses and vague inspection requirements that could disrupt trade and burden businesses.

The people of Essex, and all Canadians, cannot afford to suffer the consequences of Liberal missteps, and the bill would impose further financial responsibilities on exporters by requiring them to upgrade their facilities to comply with the new CBSA inspection regulations. That is an unfair and unnecessary burden, especially during a time of financial uncertainty when every dollar matters, both for businesses and for individual Canadians, and especially when considering the Statistics Canada Q3 report for this year, which found that, following tariff announcements, exports to the U.S. dropped 15.7% and imports fell 10.8%. This clearly shows that businesses are facing mounting costs, increased input prices and uncertainty due to shifting border policies.

We cannot add to the pressures faced by Canadian businesses with more unclear border directives. Consider our greenhouse growers, who rely on timely border crossings to deliver fresh produce to markets in Michigan and Ohio. Any delay, whether due to increased inspections, unclear regulations or bureaucratic bottlenecks can mean lost revenue, spoiled goods and broken contracts. Our auto parts manufacturers, which are part of a tightly integrated supply chain with Detroit's automotive industry, depend on predictable and efficient border operations. More frequent inspections could slow down export processing across all sectors, not just for the high-risk goods the bill aims to target.

The new requirements for inspection facilities and associated delays could also increase warehousing costs, with the greatest impact falling on small and medium-sized exporters, 35% of which reported to the Canadian Federation of Independent Business in May of this year that they already experience border delays, with the average time spent at border crossings being up to two hours. These are real consequences for real people. If Bill C-12 introduces new compliance burdens or slows down processing, it could further jeopardize jobs and investment in our region at a time when hard-working Canadians are already struggling to provide for their families.

Conservatives agree that Canada's borders must be safe and secure, but we must also protect the economic backbone of our country: our exporters, our manufacturers and logistics providers. This is something our government should already know. A report from the Standing Committee on International Trade during the 44th Parliament identified regulatory complexity and inefficiencies at the border as major barriers to Canadian exporters. The report even recommended that inspection protocols should be streamlined to avoid further harming trade. That is why the bill needs amendments to prevent unintended harm to Canadian businesses.

Bill C-12 also touches on information sharing and surveillance powers. It is important to introduce tools that help law enforcement do their jobs, but we must be cautious about infringing on privacy rights. Canadians deserve to know how their data is being used, who has it and what safeguards are in place. Transparency must be a cornerstone of any security policy.

Conservatives have a clear vision for border security and immigration. We support investing in border infrastructure to reduce wait times and improve efficiency. We advocate for strong partnerships with our U.S. counterparts, especially in regions like Windsor-Detroit, where co-operation is essential. We believe in empowering local law enforcement and border officers with the tools and training they need, not just more paperwork.

That is why I urge the House to scrutinize the bill carefully, consult with stakeholders in border ridings like Essex and make the necessary amendments. Let us hear from our farmers, our truckers, our customs officers and our local mayors to ensure this legislation reflects the realities on the ground, not just the theories in Ottawa.

[Arielle Kayabaga, Liberal, London West, ON]

Mr. Speaker, I have listened, over the last couple of weeks, to Conservatives talk about the importance of protecting our borders and the work that law enforcement does every single day. We are putting forward a bill that would do exactly that.

I am curious to know how my hon. colleague opposite feels about the comments that his leader has made about the RCMP.

[Chris Lewis, Conservative, Essex, ON]

Mr. Speaker, at the end of the day, it goes like this. I used to be the shadow minister for labour, and I met with many labour organizations for two years. I would suggest to the hon. member that the RCMP and the CBSA need a whole bunch of funding; they need a whole bunch of support and help. They are very upset and confused and need direction, and that has to come from the government.

[Costas Menegakis, Conservative, Aurora—Oak Ridges—Richmond Hill, ON]

Mr. Speaker, that was a very thorough and informed speech.

I have a question. We have a Liberal government that has been in power in this chamber and governing the country for the past 10 years. It is now 10 years later, and the government is pretending, in my opinion, to be serious about border security.

I wonder if the member feels that after the government's first attempt with Bill C-2, Bill C-12 shows that the government is finally taking this seriously and is looking at improving security for our country, especially with the illegal guns coming across the border.

[Chris Lewis, Conservative, Essex, ON]

Mr. Speaker, I am so darn proud of the Essex and Windsor region and the Chatham-Kent region, but one thing I am not proud about is that we have the busiest corridor, from Windsor through to Montreal, of human trafficking.

We need to do a whole lot more at our borders to protect our borders. That is not even talking about handguns, which, quite frankly, are the reason we have so much crime in Canada. It is not due to legal firearm owners; it is due to the illegal guns that are smuggled in.

At the end of the day, it is about the lack of direction from the Liberal government after 10 years.

[Xavier Barsalou-Duval, Bloc, Pierre-Boucher—Les Patriotes—Verchères, QC]

Mr. Speaker, I am sure my colleague knows what I am going to say because this has come up a number of times in the House.

Currently in Quebec, roughly 200,000 asylum seekers are waiting for their case to be processed. That represents roughly 40% of the total number of asylum seekers in Canada, while Quebec makes up roughly 20% of the Canadian population. In other words, the number of asylum seekers in Quebec is twice our demographic weight.

We know that this bill deals with the treatment of asylum seekers. Does my colleague think that the provinces should also help and take on their share of asylum seekers, instead of letting Quebec carry that burden?

[Chris Lewis, Conservative, Essex, ON]

Mr. Speaker, this is where I am at. I see veterans sitting on the streets of Windsor who do not have a home, do not have any food, have no place to live, have no clothes, quite frankly, but have served this country. We have to finally put Canada first. Regardless of wherever the asylum seekers need to go, what I am really focused on are the folks of southwestern Ontario and, of course, all Canadians. We have to take care of our own house before we can take care of everyone else.

I will always stand with the veteran who is laying on the street and has served this country, yet has nothing.

[Costas Menegakis, Conservative, Aurora—Oak Ridges—Richmond Hill, ON]

Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to stand today to speak to Bill C-12.

I hope all colleagues in this chamber had an amazing Thanksgiving. I enjoyed the week in my riding, but I am back in Ottawa to continue the important work we do here on behalf of Canadians from coast to coast to coast.

We are debating this bill today because this is the Liberals' second attempt in the same Parliament. Their first attempt would have allowed for a massive, sweeping violation of every law-abiding Canadian's individual freedom and privacy. In fact, that bill, which has not been withdrawn, as we found out from a Liberal member this morning, and is still on the Order Paper, would allow Canada Post to open any mail, including letters, without a warrant. It would ban cash payments and donations over $10,000. It would allow for warrantless access to personal information. It could compel electronic service providers to re-engineer their platforms to help CSIS and the police access information, and it would allow the government to supply financial institutions with Canadians' personal information, apparently in an attempt to resolve money laundering and terrorist financing. These are Canadians' hard-earned rights that the Liberal government seems to not want to respect.

The Liberals tried to pass a power grab to access Canadians' personal information from service providers like banks and telecom companies without needing a warrant, and worse, they did not consult the Privacy Commissioner. It was only due to Conservative pressure that the Liberals backed down, it appears, with the introduction of Bill C-12. The Conservatives will always stand up for Canadians' individual freedoms and privacy. They are fundamental tenets of a democratic nation.

This new bill continues with the same old Liberal soft-on-crime policies that are causing crime and chaos in our communities. Liberal bail is still very much alive and well for those who traffic guns across our border and terrorize our communities. There are still no mandatory prison times for fentanyl traffickers. Astonishingly, there are still no mandatory prison times for gangsters who use guns to commit crimes.

In the last month alone in one of the municipalities in my riding, Richmond Hill, we saw two brutal executions in broad daylight on quiet residential streets, one of them with a firearm. The Liberals have let thousands of guns flood across our border that are used to commit crimes in our communities.

I think members of the Liberal government need to rethink the way they are trying to fool Canadians. Everything is not a political issue. The decisions we make in this House affect real people. In making the announcement the Liberals made on December 5, 2024, as they do every year the day before the anniversary of the Polytechnique massacre, to say they were banning firearms, they tried to capitalize on that anniversary for political gain. That does not resolve the problem, I say to my fellow colleagues across the aisle. Illegal guns are coming across the border. It is not law-abiding Canadian citizens, hunters or sport shooters who perpetrate these crimes. It is not people with licensed firearms who commit these crimes. People who commit these crimes purchase guns from the back of a car, the back of a Honda, at the mall or in some aisle somewhere, for $600 or $700.

The Liberals are not serious about resolving the issue, and in Richmond Hill, in the last 30 days, there were two murders in broad daylight, one with an illegal gun that came across the border, which the Liberal announcements every year in the early part of December have not been able to resolve and will continue not to resolve. Instead of taking real action and implementing real consequences for those smuggling guns at our borders, the Liberals want to waste millions of dollars buying back guns from highly vetted legal firearms owners. This would do nothing and has done nothing to reduce crime in our communities.

Criminals are laughing at the Canadian government. When they get arrested by our hard-working law enforcement officers, under this bill, they would still be let out on bail, sometimes hours later, as we are told by police forces across the country. They would then go out and brutalize our communities over and over again.

When criminals are convicted, Liberal hug-a-thug policies allow many of these criminals to serve their sentences from the comfort of their own home. Wow. What a big penalty. We need jail, not Liberal bail for violent offenders, and only Conservatives will bring safe streets back to our communities.

This bill also touches upon immigration and, more specifically, our asylum system. Let me be clear. Over the last 10 years, the Liberal government has systematically dismantled our immigration system and obliterated our asylum system. Back in the days of Prime Minister Harper, when I had the honour of serving as the parliamentary secretary to the minister of citizenship and immigration, our asylum system was well respected around the world and operated with swiftness, integrity and fairness. In 2014, there were fewer than 10,000 asylum claims pending. Today, there are hundreds of thousands, due to the Liberals' failed policies.

Why has the government, for years, put asylum seekers, including many who make false claims, in hotels at taxpayers' expense? Canadians right across our country would love to hear the answer to that question. Why has the Liberal government, for years, given asylum seekers a more generous health care plan than the one Canadians receive? Numerous constituents in my riding would love the level of coverage given to asylum seekers. How is this fair to Canadian taxpayers and the Canadian people? This is billions of dollars allocated away from other services and infrastructure.

It is unacceptable that the Liberals, by their inaction and rhetoric, facilitated the flow of asylum seekers coming to Canada through other G7 countries. I would argue, as many people would, that the United States, the United Kingdom and Germany are safe, peaceful and democratic countries with functioning asylum systems. When individuals enter Canada through a G7 country, it makes a mockery of our system and undermines our commitment to processing genuine refugees efficiently. These are people who need help.

Canada's once well-perceived, respected and functional immigration system has been ruined by 10 years of abysmal Liberal policy. Millions upon millions of immigrants arrived through all channels without the proper health care, housing or jobs to support them. The Liberals' bringing in millions of new immigrants with not enough jobs available means that youth unemployment is at a staggering high. The Liberals' bringing in millions of new immigrants without the necessary health care capacity means that costs go up and wait times get longer. The Liberals' bringing in millions of new immigrants without the proper housing drives up housing costs, making housing unaffordable.

Both Canadians and immigrants suffer due to these policies. We cannot blame immigrants for the Liberals' failures.

Functionally, our system has lost most, if not all, of its integrity. There is very little enforcement of departures and very little tracking of individuals in the system, and the asylum claim backlog is mountainous. Furthermore, the reports of individuals with serious criminal convictions being let into the country under the government's watch represent a threat to public safety and raise questions about the thoroughness of all background checks being completed.

In closing, the seventh immigration minister in 10 years has offered no solutions. This bill would continue to clog up our immigration system and push the problems down the road. Luckily, Conservatives will end this chaos, fix our once proud immigration system, add more CBSA officers, end and reform the temporary foreign worker program and build an immigration system that Canadians can be proud of once again.

[Sophie Chatel, Liberal, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food]

Mr. Speaker, my colleague referred to law enforcement officers. I would remind him that just steps away from this very chamber stands a memorial honouring RCMP officers who gave their lives to protect Canadians. What does my colleague think of the shameful comments made by his leader about the very officers who gave their lives for this country?

[Costas Menegakis, Conservative, Aurora—Oak Ridges—Richmond Hill, ON]

Mr. Speaker, of course the Liberals are going to try to deflect from the debate in the House. We are talking about Bill C-12, which is a changeup from Bill C-2. We are talking about people being murdered in the streets. My colleague may not have heard what I said, but let me tell her that there have been two murders in my community in the last 30 days.

It is shameful that the government wants to politicize issues it should be focusing on: keeping these criminals off the streets, keeping illegal guns off our streets and keeping criminals in jail where they belong. Enough of this Liberal cover-up and continuing to support the Liberals' bail instead of jail policies. Every single Canadian across this country expects people who commit crimes in this country to spend time in prison.

[Connie Cody, Conservative, Cambridge, ON]

Mr. Speaker, after Conservatives forced the Liberals to back down from Bill C-2 for overstepping Canadians' freedoms and privacy, they have now returned with Bill C-12. Would my colleague not agree that Parliament must carefully scrutinize this revised legislation to ensure that nothing has been added that could once again put the privacy rights of law-abiding Canadians at risk?

[Costas Menegakis, Conservative, Aurora—Oak Ridges—Richmond Hill, ON]

Mr. Speaker, I agree 100%. Legislation needs to be debated in this House and amendments should be taken seriously. The Liberal government has a record of ignoring amendments and ignoring good ideas when they come from other elected members in this House who happen to not be from its party.

This is what the House is all about. This is the House of democracy. The voice of every Canadian is represented here by one of the members who have the opportunity to sit in these chairs. Absolutely, legislation needs to be discussed and debated here and made better for Canada and Canadians.

[Xavier Barsalou-Duval, Bloc, Pierre-Boucher—Les Patriotes—Verchères, QC]

Mr. Speaker, I am going to ask the same question I asked another colleague from the same party earlier, since I did not receive an answer. The question was simple, actually.

Among other things, the bill deals with border restrictions in order to address situations where asylum seekers are abusing the system. We know that some people are applying for asylum when they perhaps should not be. This would reduce the volume and ensure that cases are processed more efficiently.

The problem is that Quebec receives approximately 200,000 asylum seekers, or nearly 40% of the Canadian total, while our population represents only 20% of the country's population.

I would like to know whether my colleague believes that other Canadian provinces should do their part and accept a fair share of the number of asylum seekers Canada receives, based on their population.

[Costas Menegakis, Conservative, Aurora—Oak Ridges—Richmond Hill, ON]

Mr. Speaker, I was born and raised in Quebec. I am proud to say that I was born in the great city of Montreal.

My response to the hon. member's question is simply that the 200,000 asylum seekers, growing by tens of thousands under the Liberal government, have created this problem in Quebec. I agree with my colleague that it is not fair to Quebec. It is not fair to any province in Canada to have to deal with this monstrous problem that has been created by the incompetent Liberal government.

Now, 10 years later, the Liberals are trying to magically bring in legislation as if they have finally found a solution. Had they listened to us 10 years ago, we would not have the problem we are facing today in Quebec, Ontario or any province across this country.