Mark Carney has recruited Mark Wiseman, co-founder of the Century Initiative

Mark Carney has recruited Mark Wiseman, co-founder of the Century Initiative, which advocates for a significant increase in Canada's immigration levels, with the ambitious aim of reaching a population of 100 million by the end of the century. Carney replaced his EDA elected candidate with Sean Fraser, who has experience overseeing substantial immigration.

We should approach Carney's statements on the campaign trail with caution. He represents the same cabinet and the same Liberal agenda that has played a role in Canada's decline. A recently declassified report from the National Security and Intelligence Review Agency (NSIRA) raises concerns about our priorities concerning the safety of Canadians from individuals with potentially dangerous backgrounds. It suggests that subjecting prospective immigrants from regions impacted by violent extremism to more thorough background checks might be seen as discrimination, which is "not justifiable on security grounds." While arbitrary discrimination based on prohibited grounds is unacceptable, it's imperative for the government to conduct adequate security screenings for new immigrants. In some cases, certain forms of discrimination may be justified. In an effort to avoid accusations of discrimination, our national security oversight committee has concluded that vetting prospective immigrants for connections to terrorist organizations is not a national security issue. This perspective is clearly misguided and poses a serious risk to our safety. The NSIRA's report originated from a series of complaints presented to the Canadian Human Rights Tribunal (CHRT) under the Canadian Human Rights Act (CHRA) by a group of Iranian citizens seeking temporary or permanent visas.

They claimed they faced discrimination based on race and that security checks by CSIS delayed their visa processes—averaging 14 days for temporary visas and 26 days for immigration visas. Notably, Iran has been classified as a state sponsor of terrorism since 2012, and Canada currently lacks diplomatic relations with the country. Without the resources of CSIS and comprehensive security checks, how can immigration officers in the field assess whether a visa applicant has past affiliations with terrorist organizations, like al-Qaeda or drug cartels? CSIS security checks are intended to delve deeper into an individual's background, often working with foreign intelligence agencies. These complaints were presented to me during the final months of my tenure as Chairperson of the CHRT. Having practiced immigration law for more than two decades, I understood the importance of CSIS security checks. I anticipated that the NSIRA would reject the complaints, as the necessity of vetting potential immigrants for terror connections is inherently linked to Canada's security, right? Apparently, this was not the case. The CHRT complaints were suspended under an unprecedented section of the CHRA. Under Section 45, the Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada indicated that the alleged discriminatory practice was connected to national security considerations. Despite this notice, the Human Rights Commission opted not to dismiss the complaints and instead referred the issue to NSIRA for further investigation. The NSIRA's report was unprecedented and acknowledged the lack of clear legislative guidance regarding its role in a Section 45 referral.
Nevertheless, I believe that NSIRA overstepped its bounds by concluding that the criteria applied for requesting CSIS background checks were "not justifiable on security grounds." Their findings should have been confined to determining whether the alleged discriminatory practices were related to national security. Consequently, the complaints are now advancing through the CHRT to assess whether referring individuals for security background checks constitutes discrimination. While arbitrary discrimination is generally illegal, exceptions exist, such as Section 45 of the CHRA, which provides an exemption for national security issues. Yet, the NSIRA's decision curiously disregards national security concerns and fails to uphold this exemption. Canada has significantly ramped up its immigration intake in recent years, with the annual target for permanent residents nearly doubling to 500,000 since 2021. Additionally, non-immigrant foreigners, primarily students and temporary workers, accounted for 2.5 million people, or 6.2% of the population in 2023. Given that these individuals enter Canada legally, Canadians have a right to expect that migrants have undergone thorough vetting. However, it is evident that we are not meeting those expectations. Recently, Canada admitted Muhammad Shahzeb Khan from Pakistan, who is accused of plotting a major attack against Jewish individuals in New York last October. This incident occurred while Canada was still recovering from the embarrassment of granting citizenship to Ahmed Fouad Mostafa Eldidi, who, alongside his son, was arrested last July for allegedly planning a violent ISIS-linked attack in Toronto. Ahmed was featured in a 2015 video depicting the dismemberment of an ISIS prisoner.

All prospective immigrants are subject to checks for prior criminal activity. However, sometimes immigration officers may need to refer applicants for a security screening by the Canadian Security Intelligence Service (CSIS) to investigate possible connections to terrorist organizations, espionage, or other serious offenses. To safeguard Canada, immigration officers need the unencumbered authority to refer any non-Canadian for a CSIS security background check. Such referrals do not equate to a denial of entry; applicants are merely asked to wait longer until their backgrounds are verified. Immigration officers should not hesitate to utilize this authority due to fears of human rights complaints. It is crucial for Canada to realign its priorities. Our national security must take precedence and should not be hindered by unrealistic idealism.
 
David Thomas is a senior fellow at the Macdonald-Laurier Institute and a lawyer and mediator in British Columbia. He served as the Chairperson of the Canadian Human Rights Tribunal from 2014 to 2021.