Ottawa, ON – Today, the Hon. Michelle Rempel Garner, Conservative Shadow Minister for Immigration, released the following statement following reports of continued leniency for non-citizen criminals:

“Two weeks ago, I again called on the Liberal government to end the practice of giving lenient sentences to non-citizens convicted of serious crimes in order to avoid deportation. And, yet again, no action was taken. 

“It should therefore come as no surprise that there have been more egregious examples that showcase the need for urgent change:

  • On August 15, it was reported that an Indian national in Canada on a study permit and convicted of theft and eight counts of fraud is now asking a judge for an absolute or conditional discharge to avoid a criminal record that would almost certainly lead to his deportation.
  • On August 20, it was reported that an Ontario judge reduced the sentence of a non-citizen from Ecuador convicted of sexual assault causing bodily harm, even though the defence had agreed that the original five-year term was appropriate. Citing the near-certain deportation that would follow, the judge stated that “the conviction will have devastating immigration consequences” and lowered the sentence.

“I have raised this issue repeatedly for months. The law is clear: if you are a non-citizen convicted of a serious crime in Canada, you should be deported. The practice of judges issuing lenient sentences to allow non-citizens to avoid the consequences of their actions results in a two-tier justice system that is profoundly anti-Canadian.

“Our Conservative Bill C-220 would have ended this practice and brought much-needed fairness to criminal sentencing. The Liberals, instead of adopting this common-sense solution, chose instead to vote it down.

“As the consequences of that decision continue to pile up, it should be clear to the government that defence lawyers are routinely using immigration status as a way for their clients to get away with serious crimes. 

“Continuing to allow this practice makes Canada unsafe, leading to a society that is less trusting, including towards immigrants who work hard and play by the rules.

“We cannot allow this issue to fade into the background. Conservatives are once again calling on the Liberals to put an end to leniency for non-citizen offenders and impose order on a system riddled with problems they created.”