Bill C-220
Defeated
An Act to amend the Criminal Code (immigration status in sentencing)
This bill would change the Criminal Code to prevent judges from giving lighter sentences to non-citizens just to help them avoid deportation.
Sponsor · Hon. Michelle Rempel Garner
What it means for you
If a non-citizen commits a crime in Canada, the judge could no longer reduce their sentence to keep them from being deported — the punishment would be based on the crime, not their immigration status.
The debate · 6 points
Supporters say
- Sentencing should reflect the severity of the crime, not be adjusted to help someone avoid deportation. Giving lighter punishments to protect non-citizens from immigration consequences treats victims as less important than offenders.
- Some non-citizens convicted of serious crimes have received reduced sentences specifically so they could stay in Canada. This bill would end that practice and ensure the punishment fits the crime.
- Communities across Canada — including in Surrey, Vancouver, Calgary, and Edmonton — have experienced rising extortion and violent crime. Ensuring consistent sentencing for non-citizen offenders is one step toward restoring public safety.
Critics say
- Judges consider many factors when sentencing — removing their ability to weigh immigration consequences limits their discretion and may lead to unjust outcomes in individual cases.
- Deportation can have severe, sometimes life-threatening consequences. Courts have long recognized that collateral consequences, including deportation, are relevant to a proportionate sentence.
- This change could disproportionately affect permanent residents and long-term immigrants who have built lives in Canada, even for less serious offences.
Where do you stand on this bill?
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