Conservatives to propose significant amendments to Liberal asylum rules

Canada's “broken” immigration system has led to less support for immigration, MP Rempel Garner told reporters.

 

CPAC

Conservative immigration critic Michelle Rempel Garner announced Thursday she plans to heavily amend the government's border security bill C-12, the Strengthening Canada's Immigration System and Borders Act, with numerous asylum system measures.

Her proposed changes would disallow asylum claims from those transiting through Europe or a G7 country en route to Canada and deny social benefits, except emergency medical treatment, to those with a failed asylum claim.

Rempel Garner will formally propose amendments to the "pretty generous" asylum system during the bill's clause-by-clause analysis at a House of Commons committee next week, the Canadian Press reports. She argues many Canadians want changes, suggesting failed claimants should only receive emergency healthcare.

The Conservative MP plans to propose amendments to the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act to hasten the deportation of non-citizens convicted of a crime or who fail a pre-removal risk assessment. The changes include defining "serious criminality" as a conviction for an indictable offense or a hybrid offense where the Crown sought an indictable charge.

In addition, she will propose a ban on repeat pre-removal risk assessments if the initial one fails unless new evidence of changed circumstances is presented.

Bill C-12 already proposes new asylum claim restrictions, including one-year residency limits. 

The immigration committee has four Liberal, four Conservative, and one Bloc Québécois MP, with the latter typically holding the balance of power on party-line votes.

Increased permanent and temporary immigration, along with rising asylum claims, have "broken" Canada's system and caused a decline in support for immigration, Rempel Garner told reporters.

The MP noted that Canadians of all political affiliations should be “deeply concerned” by polling data indicating a loss of faith in the immigration system. She emphasized that the criticism should target the Liberal government, not the immigrants themselves.

A recent Leger survey for the Association for Canadian Studies and the Metropolis Institute shows 62% of Canadians now believe the country accepts too many immigrants, a four-point rise since March, and more than double the 30% who said so six years ago.

The poll represents a major shift in Canadian sentiment due to growing public concerns about housing shortages, strained healthcare, and job competition.

Following pressure from the Canadian Constitution Foundation and other groups, the federal government recently separated the privacy-threatening provisions of border security bill C-2 into C-12.

Splitting the bill lowers the chance that the unconstitutional parts of C-2 will pass. However, the CCF urges the government to formally withdraw the original border bill to affirm Canadians’ privacy rights.

Bill C-12 excludes five parts of Bill C-2 that the CCF warned would violate Canadians' constitutional rights against unlawful searches:

  • Provisions in Part 16 enlisting financial institutions in snooping;
  • New powers in Part 4 allowing Canada Post to open letter mail without proper safeguards;
  • New powers in Part 14 letting police demand subscriber information without warrants;
  • New powers in Part 15 potentially enlisting electronic service providers in spying; and
  • A ban on cash transactions over $10,000 (Part 11).

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COMMENTS

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  • Bruce Atchison
    commented 2025-11-21 19:25:00 -0500
    Pierre Poilievre needs to be crafty when it comes to the Liberals. They’re cunning and sneaky and mustn’t be trusted. Always assume whatever they’re doing has an ulterior motive.