The House of Commons Standing Committee on Public Safety and National Security met to study the prevention of entry of individuals posing public safety risks and the strengthening of Canada’s deportation mechanisms. The sole witness was Peter German, President and Executive Director of the International Centre for Criminal Law Reform and Criminal Justice Policy, a former RCMP deputy commissioner.
Peter German testified that Canada’s openness makes it attractive to criminals and that the country suffers from a lack of urgency in dealing with foreign nationals who have criminal records, noting that many avoid deportation by failing to attend proceedings. He recommended significant resource increases for the RCMP’s federal policing mandate, argued that high-risk individuals should not be released while their cases are pending due to system delays, and called for a comprehensive border security strategy, including joint CBSA-police task forces. He agreed with a member that student CBSA officers working independently at airports are a concern, and he stated that asylum should be the exception for those charged with serious crimes. He noted that police forces already collaborate well but need to prioritize high-risk cases, and he observed that organized crime is transnational and ethnically based, often preying within diasporas.
German disagreed with the idea of automatic deportation, citing Charter fairness issues, but said convicted foreign nationals should answer to Canadian courts and then be deported. He emphasized that process and enforcement matter more than new Criminal Code amendments, and he noted that Canada does not use its proceeds of crime legislation effectively, unlike Australia, which offers useful lessons. He also said that immigration status should not be a mitigating factor in sentencing for serious crimes.
After the witness’s testimony, the committee debated and adopted two motions. The first, moved by Rhonda Kirkland and amended by Claude DeBellefeuille, directs the committee to study the policies, procedures and criteria used by the Parole Board of Canada and Correctional Service Canada for conditional releases, long-term supervision orders and related measures, particularly for individuals convicted of first-degree murder, with at least five meetings and a report to the House. The second, moved by Sima Acan and amended to invite the Minister of Emergency Management, directs a study on strengthening national emergency preparedness, including risk communication, public readiness and coordination, with at least four meetings and a government response. Both motions were adopted unanimously.
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