Major modifications to Canada’s refugee system were proposed by the federal immigration minister in 2024 but were largely left unaddressed by the Trudeau government. In a letter dated fall 2024, Immigration Minister Marc Miller urged Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland to grant Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) the authority to reject refugee claims from asylum seekers who had been in Canada for over a year. The requested changes, retroactive to June 25, 2020, closely aligned with the Carney government’s border law.
Miller also pushed for measures to prevent asylum seekers from filing claims more than 14 days after entering Canada via an irregular port of entry on the Canada-U.S. land border. These specific restrictions were eventually incorporated into Bill C-12 last month. The surge in asylum claims, limited resources, and evolving global migration patterns had strained the in-Canada asylum system, leading to prolonged processing times and uncertainty for migrants, as emphasized by Miller.
One notable provision within Bill C-12, supported by the Prime Minister’s Office, allowed IRCC to cancel groups of visas en masse, aligning with the government’s border security agenda in December 2024. Miller highlighted that the stringent rules for irregular border crossings aimed at mitigating risks associated with anticipated shifts in U.S. immigration policies affecting asylum trends in Canada.
The passage of Bill C-12 faced significant opposition and amendments during its legislative journey. Originally introduced in late spring 2025, the bill underwent division into separate components following concerns raised by opposition parties regarding its security and immigration aspects. Despite the Senate proposing multiple amendments, including the removal of the one-year bar, they were eventually abandoned after government rejection.
Miller, who later transitioned to the heritage portfolio, anticipated backlash and legal challenges from stakeholders and advocates concerning the proposed changes. The law, supported by the Conservative Party and the Bloc Québécois, has prompted IRCC to notify a substantial number of asylum claimants of potential ineligibility for refugee status since its implementation.