Canada’s Immigration Bill: A Breakdown of Its Contents and the Controversy Surrounding It
Canada’s proposed new immigration bill aims to significantly alter immigration policies. Key changes include expanding the Canadian Coast Guard’s authority for security patrols, limiting asylum access, and addressing the influx of fentanyl.
According to the bill, it will “strengthen our laws and keep Canadians safe” by providing law enforcement with the necessary resources to secure borders, fight transnational organized crime, stop illegal fentanyl, and combat money laundering.
Introduced on June 3rd by Canada’s Minister of Public Safety, Gary Anandasangaree, the 127-page bill proposes a new approach to managing the U.S.-Canada border.
The bill was introduced after President Donald Trump raised concerns about cross-border fentanyl trafficking and irregular migration. He imposed tariffs during his Feb. 1st address, titled “Imposing Duties to Address the Flow of Illicit Drugs Across Our Northern Border,” arguing that Canada was central to the illicit drug problem. Trump claimed Mexican cartels had a growing presence in Canada, operating fentanyl and nitazene synthesis labs, and insisted Canada needed to do more to intercept drug and human traffickers.
Here’s what to know about Canada’s Strong Borders Act.
What is in Canada’s immigration bill?
Canada’s new immigration bill targets various areas, from asylum regulations and search and seizure protocols to increasing police authority over the U.S. border.
The proposed bill would grant Canada Post inspection powers to open mail and remove obstacles preventing law enforcement from doing so during investigations to combat fentanyl trafficking. It would broaden the Canadian Coast Guard’s authority to “conduct security patrols and collect, analyze and share information and intelligence for security purposes” by amending the Oceans Act and creating a new role for the department. The bill also seeks to expand information sharing between Canadian and U.S. intelligence agencies.
Concerning organized crime, the bill suggests additional restrictions on transactions exceeding $10,000 and cash deposits from one individual into another’s account.
Asylum access would also be affected, with the bill potentially barring asylum seekers who have been in Canada for over a year, with retroactive application to those arriving after June 24, 2020.
Furthermore, the government would gain the ability to temporarily halt new applications and “cancel, suspend, or change immigration documents” with immediate effect.
Why is the bill facing backlash?
The bill has faced strong opposition from Canadian immigration and human rights advocates who argue it could infringe upon civil liberties and violate international refugee obligations.
Jenny Wai Ching Kwan, a Canadian Member of Parliament for Vancouver East, cautioned that the measure should be “alarming” to Canadians.
Kwan stated her concerns about the bill’s immigration provisions, suggesting they could breach civil liberties, violate due process, and remove basic rights. She criticized the government for granting itself broad authority to cancel, withdraw, and suspend applications, even those already in process.
She also raised concerns about citizens’ privacy and the lack of clear appeals processes regarding the new immigration law.
The Canadian migrant justice group, Migrant Rights Network, also “condemns” the bill, arguing that it would “drastically restrict refugee protections and allow for mass deportations and immigration exclusion.” They claim the “unchecked power” granted by the bill could result in the mass revocation of immigration status for migrant groups.
Migrant Rights Network spokesperson Syed Hussan stated that Prime Minister Carney’s first bill contradicts his campaign promises to differ from Donald Trump and is a “shameful capitulation to racism and xenophobia” that abandons Canada’s legal and moral obligations to refugees and migrants. He added that with over 3,000 study and work permits expiring daily due to Trudeau’s immigration cuts, this bill will only worsen the humanitarian crisis and is both immoral and illegal.
Canadian Council of Refugees co-executive director Gauri Sreenivasan stated that the bill mirrors U.S. immigration policy and could force people facing threats in their country or the U.S. to live without status.
Kelly Sundberg, a former officer with the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA), also expressed concerns, admitting he is “not optimistic” about the bill.
Sundberg told CTV News that the bill appears designed to appease the Trump Administration but questioned whether it improves border security, immigration integrity, or public safety for Canadians, concluding that it falls short in all these areas.
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