By Mata Press Service

 Canada’s new immigration law is set to wipe out an estimated 29,000 asylum claims already filed in the country, pushing thousands of people who thought they were in line for a refugee hearing into a far weaker paper-based process instead.

That is one of the most explosive consequences of Bill C-12, now law under the Strengthening Canada’s Immigration System and Borders Act.

Under the new rules, people who first arrived in Canada after June 24, 2020, and made refugee claims after June 3, 2025, can now have those claims cancelled if they fall outside the new one-year eligibility window.

According to the Immigration Department, about 29,000 claims filed between June 3, 2025, and Jan. 31, 2026, will not be allowed to proceed under the bill’s new ineligibility measures.

Instead of appearing before the Immigration and Refugee Board, where claimants normally get an oral hearing before an independent decision-maker, those affected will only be assessed through paper submissions by immigration officials on whether they face danger if returned to their home country.

Irregular migrants entering from the United States between land ports of entry will also be denied the right to seek asylum through the regular refugee hearing system.

For refugee lawyers and advocates, that marks a major shift in Canadian asylum policy.

“This is the most significant rollback of refugee rights in Canada in over a decade,” said the Canadian Association of Refugee Lawyers.

Critics say Bill C-12 is not simply about speeding up removals or reducing abuse in the asylum system. They say it also weakens procedural fairness, expands executive power and creates a two-tier process that could shut out people with genuine protection needs before they ever get a full hearing.

The Canadian Immigration Lawyers Association (CILA) said the law erodes fairness in a system where courts have long recognized the importance of giving claimants and applicants a real chance to be heard.

The group warned that refugee claimants, students, workers and other migrants could now face life-changing decisions without the kind of in-person process that has long been central to refugee protection in Canada.

The retroactive reach of the new law has become one of its most contentious features.

People who arrived in Canada years ago, built lives here and only later sought protection because conditions changed in their home country may now find the door shut. Advocates have pointed to cases involving trauma, delayed disclosure, changing political conditions or fear of making a claim earlier. Under the new law, those nuances may matter far less if the claimant is caught by the one-year bar.

Supporters of Bill C-12 say the government is trying to restore order to an overloaded system.

The number of new refugee claims in Canada rose sharply from about 16,000 a decade ago to 190,000 in 2024, before falling to 107,800 last year. Officials have attributed that drop to visa requirements for Mexican travellers, stricter border enforcement and closer scrutiny of visa applications.

The argument from supporters is that the asylum system had become vulnerable to misuse and needed tougher rules to remain credible.

The Canadian Bar Association has warned that Bill C-12 could increase litigation and place more strain on the Federal Court. Instead of receiving hearings at the Immigration and Refugee Board, more people may now turn to judicial review, stays of removal and pre-removal risk assessment challenges.

The law also gives Ottawa sweeping power to cancel, suspend or change large groups of immigration documents, pause application intake or halt processing if it says doing so is in the “public interest.”

Immigration Minister Lena Metlege Diab has said those grounds would relate to fraud, administrative mistakes, or concerns tied to public health, safety or national security. But critics say the wording is far too broad and leaves room for future abuse by governments less restrained in how they define the public interest.

Immigration lawyers warned that what sounds like an administrative power could reach much further, potentially affecting large groups of permanent resident cards, visas or work permits.

More than 300 civil society organizations have formed a coalition to oppose the legislation.

“Bill C-12 will put thousands of individuals at risk of persecution, violence and precarity,” said Amnesty International.

“This government is replicating US-like anti-migrant sentiment and policies in Canada. As we look ahead, we are concerned about the dangerous trend towards discretionary power and the further erosion of refugee and migrant rights slated in future legislative and policy reforms,” said the coalition.

“As a coalition, we will continue to fight back against this attack on refugee and migrant rights in Canada when refugees and migrants are scapegoated for the crises that governments at all levels have created.”

The United Nations Human Rights Committee also warned that the bill may undermine refugee protections and Canada’s compliance with international human rights obligations, saying asylum seekers should have fair procedures and genuine access to protection.

Based on IRCC data, the top 10 countries of origin for asylum claimants in 2025 are:

India – 9,770 claims (driven by Punjab political unrest and Khalistan tensions)

Iran – 3,510 claims (political persecution, religious minorities; 56% approval rate)

Nigeria – 3,455 claims (Boko Haram violence, political instability; 36% approval rate)

Mexico – claims driven by cartel violence and organized crime

Bangladesh – 1,905 claims (political instability, climate displacement; 58% approval rate)

Haiti – gang violence and political collapse

Ghana – economic hardship and political tensions

Sri Lanka – ethnic and political persecution

Pakistan – religious and political persecution

Colombia – ongoing armed conflict