Canada tightens Asylum rules, new law may impact 30,000 applicants
Babushahi Bureau
Toronto (Canada), April 18, 2026:Canada has introduced stricter asylum regulations under a new law passed by the government led by Mark Carney, a move that could affect nearly 30,000 applicants, according to official estimates.
As reported by CBC, The changes, enacted under Bill C-12, place new limits on who can file refugee claims. Individuals who have been in Canada for more than a year may now be barred from applying for asylum. The provision is being applied retroactively to June 2020, significantly widening its scope to include many already residing in the country.
Under the new rules, migrants entering Canada through irregular border crossings must submit their asylum claims within 14 days. Failure to do so could render them ineligible under the updated framework.
Many of these measures were first proposed in 2024 by then Immigration Minister Marc Miller during the tenure of former Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, but were not implemented at the time.
Officials say the reforms are aimed at easing mounting pressure on Canada’s asylum system, which has faced a surge in applications, growing backlogs, and prolonged processing delays in recent years.
The law also includes provisions allowing authorities to cancel groups of visas as part of broader border control measures.
Authorities have indicated that the stricter approach is partly designed to prepare for potential shifts in migration patterns linked to policy changes in the United States under Donald Trump.
The new legislation marks a significant shift in Canada’s asylum policy, with its full impact on migrants and the immigration system expected to become clearer in the coming months.