On June 3, 2025, Bill C-2, a new border security Bill – dubbed the Strong Borders Act – was introduced in the House of Commons. The Act, which is intended to "strengthen [existing] laws and keep Canadians safe," proposes sweeping amendments to a number of existing legislation, including the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act and the Department of Citizenship and Immigration Act. These proposed changes have the end goal of enhancing border security by expanding the intra-jurisdictional powers of immigration authorities.
Legislation overview
Under the Act, amendments to both the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act and the Department of Citizenship and Immigration Act would grant Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) additional authorities both to share information and to enact immediate change in immigration documents for immigrants and asylum-seekers, retroactive to June 24, 2020. These expanded authorities include:
- Authorizing IRCC to share client information, such as identity, status and immigration documentation with federal, provincial and territorial partners through signed information-sharing agreements
- Making it easier for IRCC to share client information between different IRCC programs (e.g. using permanent residence application data to process citizenship applications)
- Allowing for regulations to be developed to share client information across federal departments for the purpose of cooperation
- Amending the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act to strengthen control over immigration documents for the public interest
Additionally, the proposed changes contained within the Strong Borders Act would, in the case of matters of public health or national security, allow for immigration officials to:
- Cancel, suspend or change groups of immigration documents immediately
- Pause the acceptance of new applications
The Strong Borders Act also proposes to amend the Canada Post Corporation Act to:
- Remove barriers that prevent police from searching mail, where authorized to do so in accordance with an Act of Parliament, to carry out a criminal investigation
- Expand Canada Post inspection authority to open mail
Implications
If passed, these amendments would mean a shift from the way Canada has handled immigration in the past, potentially allowing for mass changes in immigration status without the prospect of appeal or section 44 report. Several advocacy groups, including the Canadian Association of Refugee Lawyers and the Migrant Rights Network, have expressed alarm and displeasure about the Bill, citing "drastic and harmful consequences that substantially restrict access to the refugee claim process, putting many vulnerable people at serious risk of harm."
"What this is," said Syed Hussan, spokesperson for Migrant Rights Network, "is setting up of a mass deportation machine."
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