Justice Minister Sean Fraser, who oversaw immigration during the period when Auditor General Karen Hogan identified instances of fraud in Canada’s international student program, expressed regret for not taking earlier action to make fundamental changes. The Opposition Conservatives have called for his resignation, as well as that of current Immigration Minister Lena Diab and his predecessor Marc Miller in Prime Minister Mark Carney’s cabinet.
Reflecting on the situation, Fraser shared that he would have preferred to overhaul the program by setting a federal cap and allowing provinces to allocate their share to different institutions. Despite this, he mentioned that the federal government engaged in negotiations with provinces seeking increased access to immigration programs in good faith.
Ultimately, these negotiations were unsuccessful, leading to the imposition of a cap by the federal government in January 2024. Fraser served as immigration minister from October 2021 to July 2023, succeeded by Miller until March of the following year. Diab, a former provincial immigration minister in Nova Scotia, assumed the portfolio in May 2025 after a brief tenure by Montreal MP Rachel Bendayan.
In a report released on Monday, Hogan highlighted “critical weaknesses” in the integrity controls of the international student program, noting that the Immigration Department neglected to investigate or follow up on numerous “high-risk” cases.
Hogan’s findings revealed around 800 cases between 2018 and 2023 where students entered Canada using fraudulent documents or misinformation, with over half managing to remain by renewing permits or applying for other immigration statuses. Additionally, out of approximately 150,000 potentially fraudulent cases, the department only pursued follow-ups on 2,000 per year in 2023 and 2024 due to insufficient funding.
Opposition Leader Pierre Poilievre criticized the current Liberal ministers during question period for allowing 150,000 fraud cases to go unchecked. Carney defended the government’s actions, stating that all fraud cases had been investigated since taking office and asserting control over the system.
Diab’s parliamentary secretary, Peter Fragiskatos, highlighted a 60% reduction in international student permits granted, aiming to enhance the department’s integrity efforts. Diab announced plans to centralize and streamline investigations, without specifying whether the investigation budget would be augmented.
Fragiskatos mentioned that the decrease in student permits presents an opportunity to uphold the integrity expected by Canadians. When questioned about the centralization of investigations, he indicated that the specifics of this process are yet to be determined.