Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Lena Metlege Diab rises during Question Period on Parliament Hill in Ottawa, June 5, 2025. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Adrian Wyld
Canada has approved more than 17,000 applications in the past 11 years from foreigners with criminal records trying to enter the country through the federal government’s rehabilitation program, the immigration department has confirmed.
Foreign nationals are not typically granted entry if they have been convicted of an act classified as a criminal offence in Canada, but exceptions can be made by Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC). The federal agency has the authority to grant exceptions if five years have transpired since the individual was convicted or finished serving their sentence.
