The federal Conservatives are expected to introduce a motion today aimed at tightening Canada’s refugee and asylum rules for non-citizens convicted of serious criminal offences.
The motion would seek to bar foreign nationals found guilty of major crimes from filing refugee claims in Canada. It also calls on the federal government to prevent asylum applications from individuals whose criminal cases are still ongoing in the courts.
Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre said Monday that non-citizens who commit serious crimes should not be allowed to remain in the country.
“Non-citizens who commit serious crimes must be forced to leave our country,” Poilievre wrote on social media.
The proposed motion points to a rise in extortion cases and what Conservatives describe as overly lenient bail laws as key reasons for the push. The party argues that loopholes in the current immigration and justice systems allow individuals accused or convicted of violent crimes to delay deportation by launching refugee or asylum claims.
Calls for reform have also come from provincial and municipal leaders. British Columbia Premier David Eby, along with several mayors of major Canadian cities, has urged Ottawa to close what they view as gaps in the asylum system, particularly in response to a significant increase in extortion-related violence in British Columbia and other regions.
The issue was also raised at the Conservative Party’s recent convention in Calgary, where delegates voted in favour of policy proposals calling for stricter immigration enforcement. One proposal argued that Canadian taxpayers should not bear the cost of rehabilitating foreign nationals convicted of crimes.
The motion is expected to spark renewed debate in Parliament over immigration policy, public safety, and the balance between refugee protections and criminal accountability.