During the last 11 years, Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) has approved more than 17,600 applications from foreigners with criminal convictions seeking to enter the country, raising public safety concerns and calls for transparency over the offenses that have been forgiven.
According to figures provided by the immigration department, individuals convicted of crimes abroad were deemed “rehabilitated” and allowed to apply for entry into Canada between 2013 and 2024. This opens doors to visas, temporary permits, and permanent residency that would otherwise be barred due to inadmissibility based on foreign convictions.
While IRCC says decisions are based on a detailed review of the seriousness of each offence and the behaviour of applicants since their conviction, critics are urging the federal government to release more information on the nature of the crimes being pardoned.
“There have been questions about the adequacy of vetting many classes of people entering Canada,” said Conservative immigration critic Michelle Rempel Garner.
Rempel Garner said she may bring the issue to the Commons immigration committee when Parliament resumes in the fall.
“If the public is going to have any confidence in the immigration system’s vetting process,” she added, “there needs to be transparency about the types of convictions being forgiven.”
Under federal immigration law, individuals convicted of acts considered criminal offences in Canada are typically inadmissible.
In 2024, IRCC approved 1,390 rehabilitation applications while rejecting 105.
In 2023, it approved 1,505 and rejected 70.
The department has not released a detailed breakdown of the offences in question.
For serious crimes, decisions are made by the federal Minister of Immigration.
Spokesperson Nancy Caron said the department considers factors such as the number and seriousness of offences, the applicant’s conduct since the offence, and community support.
The IRCC record stands in sharp contrast with the Trump administration’s increased efforts to deport criminals, some of whom may eventually seek entry into Canada. The US Supreme Court recently upheld the power of the Department of Homeland Security to deport migrants with convictions to third countries, expanding the scope of potential inflows to Canada.