S-8An Act to amend the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act, to make consequential amendments to other Acts and to amend the Immigration and Refugee Protection Regulations
Government bill, introduced in the Senate on May 17, 2022
- Status
- Became law on June 22, 2023 · S.C. 2023, c. 19
- Sponsor
- Marc GoldSenator
- Senator
What it does
Creates a new immigration inadmissibility ground for sanctions and updates related rules in the IRPA, Citizenship Act, Emergencies Act and immigration regulations.
What it does
- Creates a separate inadmissibility ground for sanctions, covering people blocked by international sanctions Canada follows and people subject to orders or regulations under the Special Economic Measures Act or Magnitsky law.
- Updates related Immigration and Refugee Protection Act rules so sanctions are treated separately from other inadmissibility grounds, including rules on family members, detention, removal, appeals and refugee claims.
- Limits humanitarian and compassionate requests, and ministerial exemptions, for people inadmissible under security, human or international rights, sanctions or organized crime grounds.
- Transfers authority to issue a removal order for sanctions-based inadmissibility from the Immigration Division to the Minister of Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness under the regulations.
- Applies the new sanctions ground to some sanctions decisions and orders already in force when the bill receives royal assent.
Who it affects
- Foreign nationals subject to sanctions
- Permanent residents
- Refugee claimants
- Immigration officials
- The Minister of Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness
- People applying for citizenship
Background
The bill amends the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act. It also makes related changes to the Citizenship Act, the Emergencies Act and the Immigration and Refugee Protection Regulations.
Where it is
Senate
First reading
Completed.
Second reading
Completed.
Committee
Completed.
Report stage
Completed.
Third reading
Completed.
House of Commons
First reading
Completed.
Second reading
Completed.
Committee
Completed.
Report stage
Completed.
Third reading
Completed.
Royal assent
Royal assent
Completed.
Introduced by a cabinet minister on behalf of the government. Government bills get set time for debate, so they are the most likely to become law. How a bill becomes law
How the House voted
Concurrence at report stage of Bill S-8, An Act to amend the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act, to make consequential amendments to other Acts and to amend the Immigration and Refugee Protection Regulations
Vote 387,
Passed
317 yeato0 nay · 6 paired
Party breakdown for vote 387 Party Position Yea Nay Did not vote Liberal Yea 151 0 5 Conservative Yea 112 0 3 Bloc Yea 28 0 4 NDP Yea 22 0 3 Green Yea 2 0 0 Independent Yea 2 0 1 Total 317 0 Bill S-8, An Act to amend the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act, to make consequential amendments to other Acts and to amend the Immigration and Refugee Protection Regulations (report stage amendment)
Vote 386,
Failed
112 yeato202 nay · 6 paired
Party breakdown for vote 386 Party Position Yea Nay Did not vote Liberal Nay 0 150 6 Conservative Yea 111 0 4 Bloc Nay 0 27 5 NDP Nay 0 23 2 Green Nay 0 1 1 Independent Split evenly 1 1 1 Total 112 202 Time allocation for Bill S-8, An Act to amend the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act, to make consequential amendments to other Acts and to amend the Immigration and Refugee Protection Regulations
Vote 383,
Passed
172 yeato135 nay
Party breakdown for vote 383 Party Position Yea Nay Did not vote Liberal Yea 149 0 7 Conservative Nay 0 103 12 Bloc Nay 0 28 4 NDP Yea 22 0 3 Green Nay 0 2 0 Independent Nay1 broke ranks 1 2 0 Total 172 135 2nd reading of Bill S-8, An Act to amend the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act, to make consequential amendments to other Acts and to amend the Immigration and Refugee Protection Regulations
Vote 258,
Passed
314 yeato0 nay
Party breakdown for vote 258 Party Position Yea Nay Did not vote Liberal Yea 148 0 10 Conservative Yea 113 0 3 Bloc Yea 28 0 4 NDP Yea 23 0 2 Green Yea 2 0 0 Independent Did not vote 0 0 2 Total 314 0
What MPs said
Each party’s first speech on this bill in the House, from Hansard. Excerpts are the speaker’s opening sentences, unedited.
LiberalMarco Mendicino· December 12, 2022
“That is why I am here today to introduce Bill S-8, an act to amend the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act, which would, among other things, expressly align the IRPA with SEMA to ensure that all foreign nationals subject to sanctions under SEMA would be inadmissible to Canada.”
Read the full speech on openparliament.caConservativeAdam Chambers· December 12, 2022
“Today, we are talking about Bill S-8 to ensure that foreign nationals who are subject to economic sanctions are not able to enter our country.”
Read the full speech on openparliament.caBlocYves Perron· December 12, 2022
“It is like the bill we are debating now, Bill S‑8. Quite simply, we want consistency.”
Read the full speech on openparliament.caNDPHeather McPherson· December 12, 2022
“The act we are debating today is Bill S-8. This act would amend the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act, to make consequential amendments to other acts and to amend the Immigration and Refugee Protection Regulations.”
Read the full speech on openparliament.ca
Read the source
LEGISinfo status: Royal assent received. Bill data from LEGISinfo, votes from openparliament.ca and the House of Commons. Last updated October 13, 2026.