COW – The Strong Borders Act (Border Bill) – June 9, 2025

Key Facts and Figures

• The Strong Borders Act is critical to ensuring the integrity of the immigration system and helps assure Canadians that our system is well managed and includes protections against fraud and misuse.
• The proposed legislative updates are required to ensure Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) has improved tools to manage integrity and asylum volume pressures.
• There are four immigration-related items in the Bill: new mass authorities to strengthen control over the documents IRCC issues and the applications we process; strengthened in-Canada asylum system; new asylum ineligibilities; and strengthened information-sharing within IRCC, among federal departments, and with provinces/territories.
• Legislation was introduced in Parliament on June 3, 2025.

Key Messages

• The integrity of the immigration system is critical to supporting border security and assuring Canadians that the system is well managed, including protections against fraud and misuse.
• The Border Bill will provide Canada with greater control over its immigration documents to protect Canadians, immigration integrity, and public resources.
• Specifically, the immigration-related items in the Bill are as follows:
  • Mass authorities: Protect the integrity of Canada’s visa system. In order to respond to events that could undermine the management of migration into our country, the Bill will increase the government’s control over immigration documents and application intake when determined by the Governor in Council to be in the public interest.
  • Asylum claim ineligibilities: Create two new asylum claim ineligibilities in order to manage surges in asylum claims in Canada. One, to make ineligible claims for refugee protection made one year after applicants’ first entry into Canada. Two, to make ineligible claims from people arriving in Canada irregularly from the United States (between ports of entry) that have not made within the prescribed 14-day time limit under the Safe Third Country Agreement (STCA). Instead, anyone impacted by these new ineligibilities will be referred to the removal process, including a pre-removal risk assessment for those who have well-founded fears of returning to their country of origin.
  • Strengthened asylum system: Strengthen the in-Canada asylum system by streamlining the intake, processing, and adjudication of asylum claims to better manage the volume of asylum claims while maintaining integrity of the asylum system.
  • Strengthened information sharing: The Bill will improve and expand domestic information-sharing within IRCC, the Government of Canada, and with provincial and territorial partners.

Supplementary Information

Mass Authorities

• Legislative amendments to the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act (IRPA) are needed to:
  • Allow the Governor in Council to mass cancel, suspend, or vary immigration documents; cancel and suspend immigration applications; and stop application intake for reasons determined to be in the public interest; and,
  • Provide officers the authority to examine document holders outside Canada, including requiring them to answer questions truthfully, in prescribed circumstances.
  • These authorities aim to increase the Government of Canada’s control over immigration documents and application intake to ensure that we are able to respond swiftly to events that could undermine the management of migration into Canada, the safety of Canadians and our relationships with key international partners.

Asylum Claim Ineligibilities

• Legislative amendments to IRPA are needed to create new ineligibilities to be referred to the Immigration and Refugee Board (IRB) for two cohorts of asylum claimants:
  • Those whose claim is made more than 14 days after entering Canada irregularly (between ports of entry) from the United States (STCA) and its Additional Protocol currently applies to individuals making a claim for refugee protection less than 14 days after the day of entry into Canada.
  • Those who make a claim for refugee protection more than one year after they first entered Canada after June 24, 2020.
• Instead, anyone impacted by these new ineligibilities will be referred to the removal process, including a pre-removal risk assessment for those who have well-founded fears of returning to their country of origin.

Strengthened Asylum System

• Legislative amendments to IRPA are needed to streamline the asylum system and continue to uphold its integrity and fairness, by creating system-wide efficiencies and enhancements. There have been significant and growing numbers of claims in recent years. Specifically, the amendments would:
  • Allow IRCC and Canada Border Services Agency to analyze and review claims fully prior to referral so that only complete “scheduling ready” files are referred to the IRB;
  • Set out a single online application that specifies information and documents required within prescribed timelines. This supports client service by avoiding duplicate questions on multiple forms/interviews; and
  • Create an authority to prevent the IRB from making decisions with respect to refugee claims or holding admissibility hearings if the person has left Canada.
  • Clarify the authority to appoint a designated representative to understand proceedings, including minors, are supported in the process.

Strengthened Domestic Information Sharing

• Legislative amendments are needed to allow for the development of systematic information sharing processes within IRCC and with key domestic government partners and stakeholders.
  • Current domestic information sharing is resource-heavy and experience has shown that some desired uses/disclosures are not authorized (including between IRCC’s business lines).
• Specifically, amendments to IRPA and the Department of Citizenship and Immigration Act:
  • Break down domestic information sharing barriers between IRCC programs and across business lines to improve integrity and efficiency in the services IRCC provides;
  • Enhance the sharing of identity, status and document information with federal-provincial/territorial partner programs relying upon this information; and
  • Introduce new regulation-making authority to allow IRCC to disclose immigration information for the purpose of cooperation with federal partners.
• Robust safeguards are put in place relating to the use of the information disclosed by IRCC in order to protect the privacy of IRCC's clients, including a requirement for written agreement or arrangements, and prohibition against onward sharing by provincial or territorial government partners to foreign entities, except with the consent of IRCC and where this would happen in a way that complies with Canada's international obligations in respect of mistreatment, as defined in the Avoiding Complicity in Mistreatment by Foreign Entities Act.