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Parliament Debates Strong Borders Act to Restrict Asylum Claims, Expand Security Powers

Sponsors say strict filing deadlines paired with new enforcement powers strengthen Canada’s asylum system.

The changes are part of the larger Strong Borders Act, proposed by Canada’s Minister of Public Safety Gary Anandasangaree in parliament on Tuesday. (REUTERS)
Liberal MP for Halifax West Lena Metlege Diab rises during Question Period, Friday, December 1, 2023 in Ottawa.  THE CANADIAN PRESS/Adrian Wyld
A group of asylum seekers claiming to be from Haiti take their luggage out of a taxi as they arrive near a checkpoint on Roxham Road near Hemmingford, Quebec, Canada April 24, 2022. Picture taken April 24, 2022. REUTERS/Christinne Muschi/File Photo
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Overview

  • Introduced June 3, the Strong Borders Act would bar asylum claims filed more than a year after arrival or later than 14 days after unofficial US crossings.
  • The bill grants cabinet authority to suspend or cancel immigration documents on public health or security grounds and to share migrants’ personal information with provincial and territorial governments.
  • Expanded law enforcement measures include new mail-search rights for police and greater Coast Guard duties to combat fentanyl trafficking and money laundering.
  • Late claimants would bypass the Immigration and Refugee Board for lower-level pre-removal risk assessments, a change critics warn could undermine due process.
  • Immigration Minister Lena Metlege Diab says built-in safeguards will protect civil rights and help clear a backlog of more than 280,000 pending cases.