July 15, 2019, CALGARY, AB – Hon. Michelle Rempel, Shadow Minister for Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship and Pierre Paul-Hus, Shadow Minister for Public Safety, Border Security, and Emergency Preparedness issued the following statement regarding the newly released number of illegal border crossings in June 2019:

“As predicted, the number of border crossings is on the rise this summer. Justin Trudeau is misleading Canadians by claiming the number of crossings has decreased. In reality, this June saw over 300 more crossings than in June 2018. Instead of taking steps to address the issue, the Trudeau government has set up permanent infrastructure, wasted hundreds of millions of dollars, and have normalized the situation.

“While Minister Goodale stated that a large number of the border crossers do not have a valid asylum claim and will be rejected, only two percent of illegal border crossers have been removed. This, coupled with the fact that the Auditor General found that they have amassed a backlog of 71,000 asylum claims, and that wait times for a hearing could reach 5 years long, show just how serious this situation is.

“Justin Trudeau has failed to ensure Canada’s immigration system remains fair and compassionate. We know that this massive asylum claim backlog effects other streams of immigration processing, leading to increased wait times for those who play by the rules.

“Canada’s Conservatives will continue to call on Justin Trudeau to stop putting Canada’s immigration system in jeopardy.  It is time for the Trudeau government to ensure our system functions in an orderly, planned and safe manner.”