The federal NDP critic for immigration, citizenship and refugees, Jenny Kwan, has described a recent Donald Trump executive order as "a deeply distressing reincarnation of race-based immigration policies not seen since the Second World War".

In a letter to House Speaker Geoff Regan, the Vancouver East MP has says she'll seek leave on Monday (January 30) to propose an emergency debate in Parliament on the "alarming actions" taken by Trump.

Trump's order bans people travelling with passports from Syria, Iran, Iraq, Yemen, Sudan, Somalia, and Libya from entering the United States. 

The prohibition applies to those with U.S. visas, as well as all those who've cleared the hurdles to become refugees.

"This ban will have disastrous implications for thousands of innocent travelers, family members, students, business people, indeed travelers of all kinds, but most disturbingly, the men, women and children who are seeking asylum and fleeing persecution," Kwan wrote.

She added that it's "unclear how many persons living in Canada are affected by this travel ban".

But she noted that permanent residents of Canada "may be severely impacted".

That's because permanent residents without Canadian citizenship travel with passports from their countries of origin.

"A ban against individuals based upon race, religion, or country of birth, implemented by our closest neighbour, cannot be tolerated," Kwan declared in her letter. "An emergency debate would allow Parliamentarians to urgently address this unacceptable situation and allow the Government of Canada to hear deliberations by Parliamentarians as it develops and implements a response strategy."