加拿大移民部長莉娜·迪亞布（Lina Diab）於2025年週四出席國會下議院的移民事務委員會聽證會時，就聯邦政府提交的C-12《邊境安全法案》（Border Security Act）發表說明。她指出，這項法案賦予移民部權力，在特定情況下暫停或撤銷移民申請，而法案中所使用的“公共利益事件”（public interest event）一詞並未設置明確定義，這是政府刻意為之的安排。

迪亞布解釋稱，法案設計之所以模糊，是為讓政府在面對國家安全危機、公共衛生事件或其他突發情況時，能夠靈活且迅速地做出反應。她以新冠疫情期間為例，如果當時擁有這項權力，政府就可以更快地暫停移民申請程序，以應對公共衛生挑戰。同時，移民部的誠信政策與計畫總監Tara Lang補充說，這項權力也可用於推行緊急措施，例如延長醫護人員簽證，以解決突發的人力短缺問題。

然而，這項法案一經提出，便引發反對黨及民間團體的強烈質疑。保守黨移民事務評論員米歇爾·加納（Michelle Garner）在聽證會上多次追問政府：在何種具體情況下會動用這項權力？又有哪些防止濫權的保障機制？加納批評道：“你要國會在沒有明確定義的情況下，把如此巨大的權力交給政府，這等於可以把他們不喜歡的一大群人踢走。這簡直違反加拿大的核心精神。”

這場聽證會凸顯加拿大社會對於行政權力擴張與移民政策透明度的擔憂。雖然政府強調這項權力是為應對突發事件與公共利益，但反對聲音擔心，一旦缺乏明確界定與監督機制，將可能被濫用，對移民群體的權益構成嚴重威脅。此次辯論也引發公眾對C-12法案是否會削弱移民保障、以及加拿大核心價值的平衡的廣泛關注。

On Thursday, Canadian Immigration Minister Lina Diab appeared before the House of Commons Immigration Committee to discuss the federal government’s proposed Bill C-12, the Border Security Act. She explained that the bill grants the Immigration Department the authority to suspend or cancel immigration applications under certain circumstances. Notably, the bill uses the term “public interest event” without providing a clear definition—a deliberate choice, according to Diab.

Diab emphasized that this lack of specificity is intended to give the government flexibility to respond quickly to emergencies, such as national security crises, public health threats, or other unforeseen events. She cited the COVID-19 pandemic as an example, stating that if such powers had existed at the time, the government could have temporarily suspended immigration application processing to better manage public health concerns. Additionally, Tara Lang, Director of Integrity Policy and Programs at Immigration Canada, noted that the authority could also be used for emergency measures, such as extending visas for healthcare workers during critical shortages.

Despite these explanations, the bill has faced strong criticism from opposition parties and civil society groups. Conservative immigration critic Michelle Garner repeatedly pressed the minister during the hearing, asking under what circumstances the government would exercise this power and what safeguards exist to prevent abuse. Garner argued, “You are asking Parliament to give the government a power without clear definition, which could allow them to remove large groups of people they don’t like. This fundamentally violates the core values of Canada.”

The hearing highlighted widespread concern in Canada over the expansion of executive authority and transparency in immigration policy. While the government insists that the power is meant to protect public interest in emergencies, critics warn that the lack of clear boundaries and oversight could lead to abuse, putting immigrants’ rights at risk. The debate has sparked public attention on whether Bill C-12 strikes the right balance between national security and the protection of immigrant rights, and whether it aligns with Canada’s core democratic principles.