Immigration Minister Lena Diab says she’s looking forward to implementing the immigration provisions of the controversial border security bill, C-12, after it moved to a third reading in the Senate with zero amendments.

“[It] will help us protect our border, but also ensure that we reduce the asylum numbers by curbing the number of people that are coming and claiming fraudulently, but also protecting those that are really vulnerable and need Canada’s protection,” Diab said.

The Upper Chamber’s national security committee carried a clause review of the bill on Monday.

This came after another committee suggested amendments, which called to remove or heavily change parts five to eight of C-12, citing safety risks and the vulnerability of asylum seekers.

Senator Mohammad Al Zaibak’s proposed amendments targeted information-sharing, executive powers and asylum ineligibility provisions. They were all voted down by the national security committee. 

“There are legitimate concerns within various communities that these terms here, like ‘public safety’ and ‘national security’,” can be, unless they are narrowly defined, abused,” Al Zaibak said at the committee meeting on Monday. 

Some senators argued the bill already contained sufficient safeguards and warned that the proposed changes would weaken emergency response powers or disrupt implementation.

“I have confidence in public servants that they would act with efficacy and care in the sharing of information and would not compromise the interests of the people affected by that,” Senate bill sponsor Tony Dean said.

The third reading of the bill is expected to take place later this week.