Bill C-12 will harm newcomers and leave structural challenges unresolved
Take action by sending a letter to your Senator
Bill C-12 is currently under review in the Senate at a moment of heightened public debate about immigration in Canada. In recent years, some government officials and media narratives have increasingly linked immigration to housing shortages, economic pressures, and strain on public services. These claims have contributed to rising public anxiety, even though the structural causes of these challenges lie elsewhere.
Bill C-12 emerges within this political context. While presented as a response to concerns about system integrity and border management, the bill signals a broader shift in how power would be exercised within Canada’s immigration system.
The changes proposed in this bill are far more than administrative adjustments. They would expand discretionary authority within the immigration system and reduce longstanding procedural safeguards that have historically relied on individualized assessment and due process.
For example, Bill C-12 would allow immigration documents and applications to be cancelled or suspended for groups of people under broadly defined grounds. Canada’s immigration framework has long relied on individualized assessment. Moving toward broader discretionary authority raises serious questions about due process, transparency, and accountability. It would also introduce a one-year limit on refugee claims, redirecting those who miss the deadline away from a full hearing before the Immigration and Refugee Board and into a more limited risk assessment process. Strict timelines of this kind can disproportionately affect people navigating language barriers limited access to legal counsel or unstable living conditions, raising concerns about unequal and potentially discriminatory impacts on racialized communities.Refugee protection must be determined by risk and need, not by rigid administrative timelines that ignore the realities people face as they navigate a complex and often inaccessible system
The legislation would also expand information sharing between immigration authorities and other levels of government. When migrants fear that accessing housing, healthcare or labour protections could expose them to immigration consequences, they may avoid seeking help altogether. This creates conditions where exploitative employers, landlords, or recruiters can operate with less oversight and where migrants feel compelled to remain in unsafe or underpaid work out of fear of losing status.
Canada’s immigration system is facing real pressures, and those pressures deserve thoughtful and evidence-based solutions. But expanding broad discretionary powers and weakening procedural protections will not resolve the structural challenges facing housing, infrastructure or public services. Those challenges require comprehensive public policy responses that extend far beyond immigration law
As the Senate reviews Bill C-12, this is an important moment for reflection and public engagement. Policy responses to complex social challenges must remain grounded in fairness, transparency, and equal protection under the law. For these reasons, Bill C-12 should be withdrawn, and immigration reform efforts should instead focus on fairness, accountability, and stable pathways to permanent residence.
To support informed engagement, we have developed resources that provide a plain language overview of the bill and practical ways individuals and communities can respond. One way to take action is by sending a letter to your Senator to share your concerns about Bill C-12 We encourage you to learn more and make your voice heard.
