Liberal Immigration Chaos Is Not "Under Control" – Canadians Are Under Threat
Yesterday, Prime Minister Mark Carney claimed in Question Period that Canada's immigration system is now "under control."
But the facts tell a different story. Far from restored order, Liberal policies have left our borders porous, our communities vulnerable, and Canadians are paying the price. It's time to expose the truth: this broken system isn't fixed. It's a threat to our safety, economy, and way of life.
Consider the asylum crisis. Overwhelmed by a surge in claims -- in the hundreds of thousands annually now, up from just 6,000 in the early 2010s -- the Immigration and Refugee Board quietly implemented a "File Review" shortcut without cabinet approval.
This shortcut hand-waves refugee claimants from high-risk countries like Iran, Pakistan, and Afghanistan, skipping in-person interviews that detect fraud, traffickers, or terrorists. Between 2019 and 2023, 24,599 claimants were rubber-stamped without scrutiny, boosting acceptance rates to nearly 80%, far higher than our peer nations.
Security protocols continue to be ignored for expediency, opening doors to bad actors and further straining our resources. Adding to the chaos, millions of temporary visas are expiring without proper oversight. In 2026 alone, 2.1 million permits will lapse, on top of 1.49 million last year, totaling 2.9 million over two years. And that's not including the foreign students who both took advantage of -- and were preyed upon -- by dodgy 'diploma mills' that were far from legitimate academic institutions.
And the Liberals still lack a comprehensive digital exit-tracking system, meaning many could overstay undetected or go underground. Deportations are barely being enforced, with no announced plan for handling the millions on temporary status who need to stay temporary.
Worse, foreign extortionists, the majority having arrived between 2021-2024, are preying on communities like Surrey and Brampton. Extortion cases have surged 300% nationwide and 500% in B.C., with shootings, arsons, and threats forcing families to flee. In Surrey, there were 36 attacks in January alone.
Yet deportations continue to fail due to soft-on-crime laws and overwhelmed immigration. Repeat offenders, who never should have been rubber-stamped in the first place, claim fraudulent asylum to draw out their potential exit, are released quickly, and return to terrorizing Indo-Canadian neighborhoods all but overnight.
This is no accident, it's a pattern of Liberal neglect.
Meanwhile, our health services are on the brink. Asylum claimants receive deluxe benefits under the Interim Federal Health Program, costing $896 million in 2024 -- up 1,186% since 2016 -- while millions of Canadians lack family doctors and wait for surgeries and consultations while problems metastasize.
The cost from claimants is projected to hit $1.5 billion by 2028, overwhelming a system that's only two-tier in that it makes Canadians wait at the back of the line.
Canadians of all backgrounds, along with high-value newcomers alike, know this isn't right. We demand a return to Responsible Immigration, and the vetted, high-skill, pre-Trudeau standards that built a proud and cohesive nation.
No more low-wage, unvetted influx from the COVID era that sullied our once-great system. No more playing dumb about what to do with the millions of low-wage temporary workers and foreign students who need to return home if they haven't secured a meaningful pathway to P.R., in a meaningful trade or STEM.
It's time to Hire Canadian, put Canadians first, respect the wishes of our immigrants, and end this farce.
That's why the NCC's Canadians for Responsible Immigration campaign is leading the charge, making major news, and testifying before Parliamentary committees.
Join us.
Donate, share, and demand change. Together, we'll continue to restore Canada's immigration integrity, by holding those who broke this once-proud programme to account.
Sincerely,
Alexander Brown
Director, National Citizens Coalition