Canada: Asylum seekers and migrants at risk

In October 2025, the Canadian government introduced Bill C-12, a proposal that puts the rights and safety of asylum seekers and migrants at serious risk.

This bill aims to fast-track key parts of the earlier Bill C-2, which had already faced strong criticism for undermining refugee protections. If passed, Bill C-12 would block people who have lived in Canada for more than a year from making a fair refugee claim. It would also give the government broad powers to cancel immigration documents without proper review or due process.

These changes would strip away vital protections and could lead Canada to break its commitments under international human rights law.

Here’s what you can do:

Write to Prime Minister Carney urging him to:

• Withdraw Bills C-2 and C-12 and instead uphold Canada’s long-standing commitments to dignity, protection, and justice.

From Bill C-2 to Bill C-12

In June 2025, the Canadian government introduced Bill C-2, misleadingly titled the Strong Borders Act. The bill proposed sweeping changes to laws governing border security, immigration, asylum, customs, and law enforcement.

Critics, including opposition parties, raised serious concerns about expanded data sharing and violations of privacy rights for Canadians. In response, the government introduced a new bill in October 2025 (Bill C-12) aimed at fast-tracking the parts of Bill C-2 that deal with refugees and immigration. Despite this move, Bill C-2 continues to move through Parliament.

What Bill C-12 would do

If passed, Bill C-12 would:

• Deny fair hearings to many refugee claimants. People who make a claim more than one year after arriving in Canada would be barred from having their cases heard by the Immigration and Refugee Board, even if conditions in their home countries worsened after their arrival.
• Punish people forced to cross between ports of entry. Those who enter Canada irregularly and apply for protection more than 14 days later would also lose access to a fair refugee process. Many people are forced to cross this way because of the Safe Third Country Agreement.
• Push people into a weaker system. Instead of fair refugee hearings, they would face a Pre-Removal Risk Assessment (PRRA) process. This system does not guarantee an oral hearing, independent decision makers, an appeals process, or automatic protection from deportation while a case is being reviewed. As a result, people could be sent back to countries where their lives are in danger.
• Grant excessive powers to cancel documents. The bill would allow the federal government to revoke valid immigration documents, such as permanent residence visas or work and study permits, based only on vague claims of “public interest,” without fair process or individual assessment.

Why these changes are dangerous

Every person has the right to seek asylum from persecution and serious human rights violations. People also have the right not to be returned to a place where they could face torture, cruel treatment, or other life-threatening harm. This principle, known as non-refoulement, is a core part of international human rights, refugee, and humanitarian law.

Bill C-12 threatens these rights by denying people a fair chance to seek protection and increasing the risk of deportation to unsafe countries.

Canada must protect, not punish

At a time when many countries are adopting harsh policies that criminalize and stigmatize people seeking safety, Canada must choose a different path. The government must uphold its international human rights obligations, protect people seeking refuge, and withdraw Bill C-12 immediately.

Please take action as soon as possible until January 31, 2026. The UA will be duly updated should there be the need for further action.