SECU – Opening Remarks – September 19, 2024

Thank you, Chair.

I would like to begin by commending the work of our security and law enforcement partners in apprehending these individuals. They’ve proven yet again that continued collaboration across law enforcement, security and border agencies is essential to keeping people safe.

I share your serious concerns about the arrest of two individuals charged with terrorism in Toronto—Ahmed Eldidi and Mostafa Eldidi.

I will provide as much information as possible—but we must remember not to impair the Crown’s ability to prosecute the accused, or the accused’s right to a fair trial.

On August 28, we provided a chronology of events to this committee. I also directed my Deputy Minister to undertake a thorough review of how these two individuals came to Canada, and we are conducting a review of our internal processes for security screening.

The first step is to gather all the facts.

Once these elements are in place, Minister LeBlanc and I will move quickly to make changes to strengthen the system as needed.

Before I highlight my Department’s role in strengthening Canada’s security screening processes, I want to give a brief overview of how my Department works with other agencies to protect our country.

Let me be clear—everyone who wants to come to Canada is screened. IRCC works closely with CBSA, CSIS and the RCMP to share information and identify people who may pose a national security risk. This monitoring occurs in three stages: before the person travels here, at the port of entry, and once in Canada.

My Department leads on the first stage. Every applicant for temporary or permanent residence is subject to an initial security assessment.

We assess their personal information and history against a set of risk indicators to determine if they could pose a potential threat. Based on those risk indicators, we identify applicants that warrant further security screening by the CBSA and/or CSIS.

We also confirm their identity and assess admissibility by verifying biometric data, such as fingerprints and biographic information, against RCMP databases as well as immigration data held by international partners, including the Unites States.

Immigration officers systematically assess applications against criteria in the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act. They can find someone inadmissible due to criminal activity, human rights violations, national security concerns or misrepresentation. Members of a terrorist organization are inadmissible.

CBSA officers conduct another layer of screening upon entry into Canada. People who misrepresent themselves, use fraudulent documents or are flagged in our system can be denied entry. All adults who claim asylum in Canada are subject to comprehensive security screening by CBSA and CSIS.

Once people are admitted into Canada, security partners and law enforcement work together to manage threats within our borders.

If applicants violate the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act, they risk losing their status and facing removal and criminal charges. As Minister, I have the authority to revoke someone’s Canadian citizenship if they obtained it by being dishonest, committing fraud, or hiding important information.

With regards to Ahmed Eldidi, his initial temporary resident visa application was refused. Not for security reasons, as no risk indicators were identified during the initial assessment. Rather, he was deemed a potential non-genuine visitor over concerns he wouldn’t leave Canada at the end of his authorized stay. When he applied again, his application was approved after the officer was satisfied he intended to visit Canada.

Risk indicators that were flagged along his immigration journey—from his asylum claim to his applications for permanent residence and citizenship—were referred to security partners. A favorable recommendation was returned each time. No issues were found that made him inadmissible.

I take this issue very seriously. I am providing full support to the review. We are committed to taking any actions required to keep everyone safe.

The safety of Canadians is the government's top priority. Together we will continue to prevent, detect and disrupt any suspected terrorist threats and activities. And we are committed to reviewing and continuously improving our security apparatus.

I’m happy to answer your questions.