Concerns are growing that Canada's Liberal government is moving toward a U.S.-style border policy as it pushes sweeping immigration and border legislation targeting refugees. Critics said the new bill could fuel xenophobia and make refugees and migrants political scapegoats.
According to the Guardian on the 23rd (local time), the bill in question, dubbed the "C-12 bill," is officially titled the Canada Immigration System and Border Enhancement Act. The bill includes provisions that, under the pretext of strengthening border security, restrict eligibility for refugee claims and greatly expand administrative authority. The bill was fast-tracked and passed the third reading, the final vote in the House of Commons, on the 11th, and is expected to become law after Senate approval in February next year.
Legal and academic circles said the bill fundamentally weakens the refugee protection system. Idil Atak, a refugee and human rights law professor at Toronto Metropolitan University, noted that the bill is a highly regressive step for refugee protection. Atak said, "Administrative powers to expand refugee information sharing among government agencies and to control or cancel immigration procedures have been strengthened to an unprecedented degree."
One of the core issues in the bill is a restriction on the timing of asylum applications. If an applicant seeks asylum more than a year after entering Canada, the case would be referred for a pre-removal risk assessment conducted by an immigration Director, rather than the Immigration and Refugee Board as before. Legal experts pointed out that this process hinges on the judgment of a single Director and has a very high rejection rate.
Another controversy is a provision that excludes from review any asylum applications filed at the land border with the United States after 14 days. This is based on the existing agreement that considers the United States a "safe third country." However, experts argued it is difficult to view the United States as a safe country that guarantees refugee protection. They noted that recent intensified immigration enforcement and expedited removals in the United States have created a dangerous environment for refugees.
The bill also aligns with a recent rise in deportations in Canada. Canada deported about 18,000 people last year, the highest level since the previous Conservative government. Deportation-related expense has also surged, with observers saying the government's hard-line stance is evident in the numbers.
Migrant rights groups criticized the bill as tied to political rhetoric that shifts blame for domestic problems such as rising prices and housing shortages onto migrants. Some experts interpreted it as a signal that the Liberal government is tightening border controls with an eye toward trade talks and repairing relations with the United States.
Some warned the bill could damage Canada's long-held image as a "country that welcomes refugees." They said refugee protection is a legal and moral obligation under international conventions, and measures that weaken it raise fundamental questions about Canada's values and identity.