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VUONG: Rubber-stamping refugee claims endangers and insults Canadians 

We need the IRB, along with Canada’s intelligence and security agency partners, to ensure it stops people who could harm Canadians

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We now know how a suspected terrorist and potential war criminal was admitted into Canada and granted citizenship.

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Remember the father-son duo, Ahmed Fouad Mostafa Eldidi and Mostafa Eldidi, who were arrested in 2024 before they could allegedly execute an ISIS-style terrorist attack in Toronto? Later that year, Canadians learned the father was allegedly in a 2015 ISIS video — dismembering a body with a sword — and was subsequently charged with war crimes, including torture and murder.

VUONG: Rubber-stamping refugee claims endangers and insults Canadians  Back to video

Many Canadians were left wondering how such a person could enter Canada, let alone receive refugee status in 2019, permanent residency in 2021 and citizenship in May 2024.

Now we have a partial answer. In conversation with Postmedia’s Brian Lilley, former immigration minister Jason Kenney revealed that inside sources told him the Immigration and Refugee Board (IRB) is “virtually rubber-stamping all claims from certain countries of origin.”

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I’m sorry, what? The IRB is the tribunal Canadians rely on to adjudicate immigration and refugee matters. It says it makes decisions “efficiently, fairly and in accordance with the law.” These are things worth doing, but efficiency must not be at the expense of due diligence.

Fairness shouldn’t be one-way street

We need the IRB, along with Canada’s intelligence and security agency partners, to ensure it stops people who could harm Canadians, not approving roughly 80% of asylum claims, as revealed in a new report by the C.D. Howe Institute.

Nor should fairness be a one-way street. The parliamentary budget officer’s office estimates that Canadians spend $1 billion annually on health care for refugee claimants, including those whose claims are rejected. How is that fair to Canadians?

To be clear, this is not a call to end the refugee program, but a plea to restore its integrity.

As the son of refugees, I am a product of it. My parents and other Boat People fleeing communist persecution and the Vietnam War were welcomed when others were closing their borders. The benefits back then weren’t as rich as they are today. Though it’s also not what my parents would have wanted anyway. They were looking for a hand-up — not a handout. What they wanted was simply the chance to build a new life in a safe place away from violence, where hard work would be rewarded.

Not every claim is legitimate

But not everyone claiming asylum today is legitimate. I saw this first-hand in 2023 when asylum seekers were sleeping on Toronto’s streets. As the local member of Parliament, my staff and I tried to help. It quickly became clear who was fleeing danger — and who wasn’t.

One Ugandan claimant took significant coaxing before she revealed to me that it’s because she’s a lesbian. Her response made sense, as Uganda has among the world’s most anti-gay laws, where homosexuality is not only criminalized, but also punishable by death. But others would quickly respond with a smile and say, “I’m bisexual.”

I heard that response multiple times, as if it were a cheat code for economic migrants to skip the line and gain admission to Canada. I don’t begrudge anyone wanting to come to Canada, but that’s not the purpose of the refugee program. By abusing it, they are crowding out legitimate claimants whose lives are truly at risk.

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My team and I trusted at the time that the IRB would weed out these false claimants, but it’s clear our trust was misplaced. As Canadians, we are a generous people. Our history proves that. But generosity must be anchored in prudence. We can be a safe haven for the persecuted while remaining vigilant against those who would exploit our openness and compassion.

The lesson from the Eldidi case and my experience is not that we should close our doors, but we must guard them rigorously and responsibly. If we fail to restore discipline and integrity to the refugee determination process, we risk more than fiscal strain or political controversy. We risk undermining a proud national commitment that has defined Canada for generations and further disintegration of the long-held immigration consensus.

This call for action is not a rejection of compassion — it’s how we preserve it.

— Kevin Vuong is the former MP for Toronto’s Spadina-Fort York. The son of refugees, he continues his public service as a senior fellow at the Macdonald-Laurier Institute

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WARMINGTON: Don Cherry agrees gold medal champ Auston Matthews deserves cheers in homecoming Toronto & GTA

WARMINGTON: Don Cherry agrees gold medal champ Auston Matthews deserves cheers in homecoming

Frozen blueberries recalled in Canada and U.S. over life-threatening Listeria concern Canada

Frozen blueberries recalled in Canada and U.S. over life-threatening Listeria concern

Maple Leafs concerned about fan reaction to potential Auston Matthews gold‑medal tribute? Toronto Maple Leafs

Maple Leafs concerned about fan reaction to potential Auston Matthews gold‑medal tribute?

U of T dentistry dean steps down after antisemitic cartoons appear in lecture Toronto & GTA

U of T dentistry dean steps down after antisemitic cartoons appear in lecture

Maple Leafs captain Auston Matthews breaks silence on 'unfortunate' post-medal moment Toronto Maple Leafs

Maple Leafs captain Auston Matthews breaks silence on 'unfortunate' post-medal moment

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