OTTAWA — Canadian Border Security Minister Bill Blair admitted Monday he “misspoke” in claiming “the overwhelming majority” of 32,000 illegal immigrants had left Canada.
Blair issued a news release Monday to clarify the situation after being accused by the Conservative opposition of misleading the country over the status of the illegals.
“I clearly misspoke in suggesting the majority who arrived last year have left. They have not. They await disposition of their claim. Sorry for the obvious confusion that I caused,” Blair said in the House of Commons. (RELATED: Conservative MP: ‘Trudeau’s Minister Of Nothing Keeps Misleading Canadians’ About Border Crisis)
Blair was not so clear when responding not questions from Conservative Immigration Critic Michelle Rempel, who grilled Blair over his comments during the daily Question Period.
“When the minister was asked by Global News if he was tracking the whereabouts of 32,000 illegal border crossers, he said the overwhelming majority of of illegal border crossers have left the country,” Rempel said, then pointing out that government records indicate only six have actually been deported. She asked, “How many illegal border crossers remain in Canada … [and] where are they?”
Blair did not answer either of the Calgary Member of Parliament’s questions but instead questioned whether it was proper to use the world “illegal” to describe people who come to Canada seeking asylum, no matter how they entered the country.