The Liberal government’s border crackdown appears to be sharply reducing asylum claims, with federal figures showing applications have been cut in half since Bill C-12 became law.
Internal Immigration Department documents, first reported by Blacklock’s Reporter, say officials are also rejecting more refugee claims as ineligible under the tougher rules.
“Canada’s asylum system is not a shortcut to permanent immigration,” the department said, noting an increase in ineligible claims since Bill C-12 received Royal Assent on March 26.
Just 13,710 asylum claims were filed nationwide in the three months after Bill C-12 passed, down from 27,838 during the same period last year—a 50 per cent drop.
The law gives cabinet broad powers to suspend or halt the processing of study permits, work permits, visitor visas and other immigration documents whenever it deems doing so to be “in the public interest.”
