Key Highlights
Canada’s approach to asylum is on the brink of major changes this year, with the government proposing a new law that would change the criteria for offering refugee protection and offer authorities new control over who enters the country. The bill, introduced on June 3, 2025, in the House of Commons, is a response to rising refugee claims, increasing backlogs and greater political and public demands to close the borders and maintain immigration integrity.
What Are the Provisions in the New Bill?
Bill C-2 or the Strong Borders Act, brings major adjustments to both who can seek asylum and the powers the government has over immigration matters.
1. Stricter Rules for reaching Asylum
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One-Year Rule: Any person who became a foreign national in Canada after June 24, 2020, needs to file for asylum within one year of their arrival. This will be a big change from today’s rules, where no limits on time are set.
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Borders Being Crossed Without Proper Permit: Asylum is not available to those crossing the Canada-US border outside an official port of entry, even if they wait a long time before applying. Before, people were allowed to become eligible after waiting 14 days.
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Retroactive Application: These new rules will still be used for any claims filed after June 3, 2025, so the law will apply as soon as it is presented, though it will not be official.
2. Expanded Government Powers
This bill allows the federal cabinet and officers from the immigration department to gain new, wide powers, like the power to:
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Issue orders to make sure that certain types of immigration applications are not processed.
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Put the processing of applications on hold or cancel them altogether;
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Cancel or change the provisions of immigration documents and their conditions.
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Make it compulsory for individuals to be examined by immigration officials.
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Give more personal information to other departments of the government.
For things like national security and public health, these powers may be used in the public interest.
Also Read: Canada’s First Express Entry Draw Under New Immigration Minister: Know More
3. Streamlined and Toughened Asylum Process
Almost all of these cases are resolved while the claimant is in Canada.
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The government will only look at asylum claims if the claimant is currently in Canada. If a person who made a claim leaves, their case will be paused or eliminated from the system.
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President Biden has made sure that inactive cases and those giving voluntary departures did not experience difficulties.
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The goal of the bill is to fix the backlog by deleting old cases and swiftly helping people leave the country or withdraw their claims, so orders to remove them go into effect right away.
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For people who are unable to manage the procedure on their own ,such as minors, someone else will be assigned to help them.
4. Exceptions and Risk Assessments
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Anyone who does not qualify for asylum under the new rules can still ask for a PRRA to determine if they will be in danger if deported.
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There are situations where the bill permits regulations to set aside the ineligibility rules.
Why Is Canada Making These Changes?
Canada is making these changes due to the following reasons:
Rising Asylum Claims and Backlogs
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There has been an increase in asylum applications in Canada as people living there temporarily and those travelling on student visas look for ways to become permanent residents. In the year 2024, 20,245 international students sought asylum and this figure is poised to keep climbing in the next year.
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Approximately 275,000 cases are pending at the IRB which has the ability to process only 80,000 claims in a year—so delays can be as long as 3.5 years.
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People seeking asylum have come in large numbers from India, Nigeria, Guinea, Ghana and the Democratic Republic of Congo in recent times.
Border Security and US Relations
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There are also concerns about security at the border, the movement of migrants and ongoing fentanyl and gun trafficking and these concerns have played a part in creating the bill.
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It fits with Canada’s plans to make borders more secure and deal with rising migration at unapproved crossing points.
Protecting System Integrity
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The Minister pointed out that the reforms are meant to maintain the integrity of Canada’s asylum process, letting in real refugees while reducing those who try to use the system wrongfully.
Criticism and Concerns
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Human Rights and Due Process: Some people working with migrants fear that introducing these rules could cause vulnerable people to be removed without the authorities fully assessing their problems, against Canada’s human rights commitments.
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Retroactive Application: People find the bill contentious because it can change the status of claims that have already been submitted but not yet decided.
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Civil Liberties: Increasing the government’s ability to suddenly reject or void applications and allowing more information sharing have caused worries about privacy and civil liberties.
Also Read: Indians Top List as Largest New Citizens Group in Canada: Citizenship Week
What Happens Next?
Members of the House of Commons have already gone through the first reading of the bill. It needs three votes in the House, an approval by the Senate and the declaration of royal assent1239 to become law. If adopted, this legislation will make major changes to asylum seekers’ rights and how borders are monitored in Canada.
Conclusion
Canada’s new asylum bill aims to stop late and irregular applications, speed up processing the system and give authorities more power to control the country’s borders and security. Whereas the government claims that these measures are required to keep the system and public safe, some people are worried about the impact on the weak and their fundamental rights. As the bill progresses through Canada’s Parliament, how it affects refugees, students and the country’s immigration system will be observed by Canadians as well as people overseas.
To learn more about the latest immigration news, contact TerraTern right away!
