Tory extortion motion seeks to bar refugee claims after serious crimes

The Conservatives are planning to introduce a motion Tuesday to bar non-citizens convicted of serious crimes from making refugee claims.

The motion also calls on the government to prevent asylum claims from people whose cases are still working their way through the courts.

Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre said on social media Monday non-citizens who commit serious crimes “must be forced to leave our country.”

The Conservative motion cites an increase in extortion cases and what they call lax bail laws as reasons for the motion.

British Columbia Premier David Eby and several big city mayors have also pushed Ottawa to close what they call loopholes around asylum claims following a significant rise in extortion violence in his province and many others.

Delegates at the recent Conservative party convention in Calgary called for similar changes to the immigration and justice systems when they voted in favour of a policy proposal saying Canadian taxpayers should not pay for the “rehabilitation of foreign nationals.”