Toronto: Amid accusations of misuse of Canada’s refugee system, the government has introduced legislation that aims to curb the sharp escalation in asylum claims over the past couple of years, including a major increase in the number of those from India.
The changes are part of the larger Strong Borders Act, proposed by Canada’s Minister of Public Safety, Gary Anandasangaree, in parliament this week, a Hindustan Times report said.
A backgrounder on the bill stated that among “proposed ineligibility measures” to “protect the asylum system against sudden increases in claims”, those made by people more than one year after first arriving in Canada after June 24, 2020, would not be referred to the Immigration and Refugee Board or IRB. “This would apply to anyone, including students and temporary residents, regardless of whether they left the country and returned,” it said.
In addition, it said the bill will ensure that claims are only decided by the IRB while the claimant is physically present in Canada, inactive cases from the system will be removed and voluntary departures sped up by making removal orders effective the same day a claim is withdrawn.
The outlet Global News reported last month that international students filed a record 20,245 asylum claims last year, and another 5,500 in the first quarter of 2025. Among the countries with the highest such claims was India.
