Canada's Immigration Minister Lena Metlege Diab stated on Monday that the federal government is actively working to improve tracking of temporary residents' exits from the country. This response comes after the Auditor General's report highlighted significant gaps in monitoring departures, raising concerns about overstays and border security.
Government Response to Audit Findings
Speaking to reporters on Parliament Hill, Minister Diab acknowledged the shortcomings identified in the audit and outlined steps being taken to address them. "We are committed to ensuring that our immigration system is both efficient and secure," she said. "This includes better data collection and sharing between agencies to track when temporary residents leave Canada."
The Auditor General's report, released earlier this year, found that the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) and Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) lack reliable methods to confirm departures of temporary residents, including foreign workers, international students, and visitors. The report estimated that hundreds of thousands of temporary residents may be staying in Canada beyond their authorized periods.
Proposed Measures
Minister Diab outlined several initiatives currently underway:
- Enhanced data sharing between IRCC, CBSA, and Transport Canada to track air departures.
- Pilot projects using biometric verification at major airports.
- Legislative changes to require airlines to provide passenger manifests for all outbound flights.
"We are exploring all options to close this information gap," Diab added. "Our goal is to have a system that respects the integrity of our immigration laws while maintaining efficiency."
Opposition Criticism
Conservative immigration critic Tom Kmiec criticized the government's slow response, noting that similar concerns were raised in previous audits. "This is a problem that has been known for years, and the Liberals have failed to act," Kmiec said in a statement. "Canadians deserve a system that works and protects our borders."
The government has not provided a specific timeline for implementing the new tracking measures but indicated that some changes could be in place within the next year.
