The federal government’s enthusiasm for laying sanctions on thousands of foreigners has made it harder for Canadians to understand and comply with the sanctions regime and exposes Ottawa to lawsuits, an internal review says.

The findings come as the Conservatives call for Canada to slap sanctions on those behind transnational repression.

“The urgency and frequency of new sanctions packages put intense pressure on operations, limited the ability to conduct research to further support listings and other decisions, and created legal risks,” reads the internal evaluation report dated March, 2025.

Global Affairs Canada summoned Russian ambassador Oleg Stepanov over the incursion of Russian drones into Poland this week, as Ottawa looks to help a new effort by the NATO military alliance reinforce its eastern flank.

The summoning occurred hours after Poland reported multiple Russian drones had entered Polish territory between Tuesday and Wednesday. NATO allies shot down some of the devices.

NDP MP Jenny Kwan will be asking Parliament to close a loophole that could allow the U.S. to purchase Canadian weapons for Israel, despite a ban on arms exports to that country.

Kwan will be speaking this morning on Parliament Hill about a private members’ bill she plans to table later this month “to ensure Canadian weapons and military components are not used to fuel human rights abuses abroad,” according to a statement from her office.

Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre is calling on the Liberals to scrap the temporary foreign worker program and stop issuing visas under the program, arguing it has caused an employment crisis among young Canadians.

“The Liberals have to answer why is it that they’re shutting our own youth out of jobs and replacing them with low-wage, temporary foreign workers from poor countries who are ultimately being exploited,” Poilievre told a news conference Wednesday morning in Mississauga, Ont.

Foreign Affairs Minister Anita Anand says she spoke today with the Canadian judge facing American sanctions for her work at an international tribunal, without condemning Washington’s decision.

U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio last month announced sanctions on International Criminal Court judges including Kimberly Prost for her work on a case involving American troops in Afghanistan.

Canada and India named seasoned diplomats as their new high commissioners Thursday, as both gradually soothe diplomatic tensions over transnational repression and Sikh separatism 10 months after expelling each other’s top envoys.

Foreign Affairs Minister Anita Anand said Christopher Cooter will be Canada’s new high commissioner to India. Anand’s department said Cooter has served as a diplomat for 35 years, including postings in Israel and South Africa, as well as in New Delhi 25 years ago.

Canada has signed onto a multi-country statement that demands Israel stop banning foreign journalists from entering Gaza and that local journalists be protected in the Palestinian territories.

Canada co-founded the Media Freedom Coalition in 2020 and has signed dozens of statements on issues in Hong Kong, Sudan and previously the West Bank.

Canada has taken the rare step of not signing onto a multi-country statement that demands Israel stop banning foreign journalists from entering Gaza and that local journalists be protected in the Palestinian territories.

Ottawa co-founded the Media Freedom Coalition in 2020 and has signed more than 65 statements on issues ranging from legislation in Georgia and arrests in Venezuela, to Burkina Faso sanctioning journalists and Russia detaining Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich.