Canada proposes changes to asylum laws News
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Canada proposes changes to asylum laws

The Canadian government proposed changes to its asylum laws Tuesday via a recently tabled omnibus budget bill.

If approved, the omnibus bill would include provisions to amend the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act that would prevent refugees from seeking asylum in Canada if they have made asylum claims in other countries.

Division 16 of Part 4 amends the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act to
(a) introduce a new ground of ineligibility for refugee protection if a claimant has previously made a claim for refugee protection in another country;
(b) provide that if the Federal Court refuses a person’s application for leave to commence an application for judicial review, or denies their application for judicial review, with respect to their claim for refugee protection or their application for protection, the date of that refusal or denial is the first day of the period that must pass before a request or application referred to in section 24, 25 or 112 of that Act may be made; and
(c) authorize the Governor in Council to make an order regarding the processing of applications for temporary resident visas, work permits and study permits made by citizens or nationals of a foreign state or territory if the Governor in Council is of the opinion that the government or competent authority of that state or territory is unreasonably refusing to issue or unreasonably delaying the issuance of travel documents to citizens or nationals of that state or territory who are in Canada.

The changes are meant to stop refugees from “asylum shopping,” according to Border Security Minister Bill Blair.