Canada’s Bill C-12 an ‘attack on refugee, migrant rights’: Advocates

Rights groups say new law restricting asylum will put thousands ‘at risk of persecution, violence and precarity’.Published On 27 Mar 2026Montreal, Canada – Human rights groups in Canada have condemned a new federal law that they say “marks a significant attack on refugee and migrant rights” in the country.In a statement on Friday, more than two dozens organisations warned that Canada’s newly passed Bill C-12 “will put thousands of individuals at risk of persecution, violence and precarity”.Recommended Stories list of 3 itemslist 1 of 3Video shows dozens of migrants being rescued in the Mediterranean Sealist 2 of 3At least 14 dead after migrant boat crashes into Turkish coastguard vessellist 3 of 3Migrants march in southern Mexico to denounce immigration restrictionsend of list“Bill C-12 sets the current and future governments on a dangerous path by limiting the ability to seek refugee protection in Canada, enabling the mass cancellation of immigration documents and applications, and facilitating the sharing of personal information within and outside the country,” they said.The signatories include Canada" class="entity-link entity-organization" data-entity-id="71003" data-entity-type="organization">Amnesty International Canada, the Canadian Civil Liberties Association and the Canadian Council for Refugees, among others.Bill C-12, which became law on Thursday, has fuelled concern from refugee and migrant rights advocates across Canada for months, with several specific elements drawing condemnation.They include a new rule that will bar asylum seekers from getting a full hearing at an independent tribunal that adjudicates refugee claims – the Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada (IRB) – if they make their applications more than one year after they first entered Canada.Instead, affected applicants would have access to what’s known as a pre-removal risk assessment – a process that rights groups say grants refugee claimants fewer protections and is “wholly inadequate”.Prime Minister Mark Carney’s government is moving to reduce temporary visas [File: Patrick Doyle/Reuters]Bill C-12 also grants the government the power to cancel immigration documents, including permanent or temporary resident visas, and work or study permits, if it deems it in the “public interest” to do so.