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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.

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.