The Canadian government is proposing new changes to the asylum application process that could hasten the deportation of individuals with rejected claims. Recently, asylum claims by international students have jumped by around 1500%, and concerns have been raised that students are filing these claims to continue their stay in Canada after the authorization period of stay.
A leading Canadian news publisher, Global News, reports that the 2024 federal budget subtly revealed the suggested changes two weeks ago, coinciding with a record number of asylum seekers in Canada. The budget quoted, “To support quicker decisions and quicker removals, Budget 2024 also proposes introducing changes to the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act to simplify and streamline the claims process.”
Immigration and refugee lawyer Chantal Desloges said in an interview with Global News, “Whenever lawyers hear the government say the word ‘streamline’ or make things more efficient, we always know that people’s rights are about to get sacrificed on the altar of administrative efficiency.”
The IRB reports that 46,736 individuals have sought asylum in Canada since March of this year. That represents a 62% increase from the same time in 2023, and the government reports that the backlog is 186,000. Part of Canada’s housing problem has also been associated with a rise in temporary immigration.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau declared earlier this month that temporary immigration has “grown at a rate far beyond what Canada has been able to absorb” and that the matter needed to be “under control.”
The wait periods for asylum seekers and the number of applications have increased. Years can pass before the IRB hears a case.
Difficulty in Removing Denied Asylum Claimants From Canada
Removing applicants whose claims have been withdrawn or rejected has proven difficult for the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA). As of February, the CBSA had more than 28,000 “active warrants” issued to “failed refugee claimants.”
“We, as a country, need to invest in the refugee determination process so that they get a fair opportunity to have their case [and] their fear understood and a decision made,” said immigration and refugee attorney Warren Creates.
To address the backlog of 186,000 asylum applications, the Canadian government has committed $743.5 million to the CBSA, IRCC, and IRB over five years. The previous year alone saw the filing of over 141,000 asylum applications.
“The IRB has the resources to manage around 50,000 asylum claims annually,” Creates stated.
The 140,000 that arrived last year lack the resources. To survive, they must triple their budgets and adjudications. Several new initiatives that Ottawa has announced include the suggested modifications to the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act.
The immigration minister has lately capped the number of international students allowed to work, reinstated the visa requirement for Mexican nationals, and lowered the weekly work limit to 24 hours.
Miller has so far ruled out altering the asylum requirements, which may make it harder for applicants to stay in Canada. However, we can expect that new asylum rules could be coming in the upcoming months to streamline the process.
