Chamber
commons
Stage
2nd Reading
Introduced
Jun 3, 2025
Progress
This bill strengthens Canada's border security, tightens the asylum system, cracks down on money laundering, and expands law enforcement data access.
Key Changes
- Adds two new grounds of ineligibility for refugee claims: entering Canada more than one year before making a claim, or crossing the border illegally and not claiming within the required time limit
- Gives the Governor in Council power to cancel, suspend, or vary immigration documents (visas, work permits, study permits, etc.) when deemed in the public interest
- Creates a new mandatory compliance agreement system for money laundering violations, with higher maximum fines (up to $20 million for entities)
- Bans cash deposits or payments of $10,000 or more to certain financial entities from third parties
- Enacts the Supporting Authorized Access to Information Act, requiring electronic service providers to help authorized agencies access protected communications during lawful investigations
- Expands CBSA officer access to export goods at warehouses and transportation facilities, and requires border facility operators to provide space free of charge
- Allows the Health Minister to quickly add new precursor chemicals (used to make drugs like fentanyl) to controlled substance schedules through a faster process
- Expands the Canadian Coast Guard's mandate to include security patrols and intelligence collection
Gotchas
- The new refugee ineligibility rules (entering Canada over a year before claiming, or crossing illegally outside the time limit) apply retroactively to claims made on or after the date the bill was introduced in Parliament (June 3, 2025), even before the bill received royal assent.
- The Governor in Council's power to cancel or suspend immigration documents 'in the public interest' is broad and not limited to specific criteria, which could raise concerns about due process for affected individuals.
- The Supporting Authorized Access to Information Act (Part 15) creates obligations for electronic service providers to facilitate government access to encrypted communications, which may have implications for user privacy and cybersecurity, including a prohibition on providers disclosing that they are subject to a government order.
- Part 16 allows financial entities to collect and use individuals' personal information without their knowledge or consent if shared by law enforcement for anti-money laundering purposes, creating an exception to normal privacy protections under PIPEDA.
- The bill eliminates the 'designated countries of origin' regime, which previously allowed faster processing of claims from countries deemed safe — this change could slow or alter processing for some claimants.
- Refugee hearings must be suspended if the claimant is not physically present in Canada, which could disadvantage claimants who leave temporarily for legitimate reasons.
Who's Affected
- Refugee claimants and asylum seekers, particularly those who entered Canada irregularly or delayed making a claim
- Immigrants holding Canadian visas, work permits, study permits, or permanent resident status
- Financial institutions, money services businesses, and other entities regulated under anti-money laundering laws
- Electronic service providers (e.g., telecom companies, internet platforms) required to assist government agencies with lawful access to data
- Canada Border Services Agency officers and customs facility operators
- Law enforcement agencies and the Canadian Security Intelligence Service (CSIS)
- Canada Post and mail recipients (new rules on mail seizure and opening)
- Sex offenders subject to registration requirements
Vibes
0 responses
Gotchas
- The new refugee ineligibility rules (entering Canada over a year before claiming, or crossing illegally outside the time limit) apply retroactively to claims made on or after the date the bill was introduced in Parliament (June 3, 2025), even before the bill received royal assent.
- The Governor in Council's power to cancel or suspend immigration documents 'in the public interest' is broad and not limited to specific criteria, which could raise concerns about due process for affected individuals.
- The Supporting Authorized Access to Information Act (Part 15) creates obligations for electronic service providers to facilitate government access to encrypted communications, which may have implications for user privacy and cybersecurity, including a prohibition on providers disclosing that they are subject to a government order.
- Part 16 allows financial entities to collect and use individuals' personal information without their knowledge or consent if shared by law enforcement for anti-money laundering purposes, creating an exception to normal privacy protections under PIPEDA.
- The bill eliminates the 'designated countries of origin' regime, which previously allowed faster processing of claims from countries deemed safe — this change could slow or alter processing for some claimants.
- Refugee hearings must be suspended if the claimant is not physically present in Canada, which could disadvantage claimants who leave temporarily for legitimate reasons.
Summary
Bill C-2, the Strong Borders Act, is a large omnibus bill introduced by the federal government in June 2025. It makes changes across many areas of law, all connected to the theme of border security and public safety. Key areas include: giving border officers more powers at ports of entry and export locations, tightening rules around who can claim refugee status in Canada, making it harder to launder money or finance terrorism, and giving police and intelligence agencies better tools to access digital information during investigations. The bill significantly changes Canada's refugee and asylum system. It adds new rules that make people ineligible to claim refugee status if they entered Canada more than a year ago without making a claim, or if they crossed the border illegally and didn't claim within a set time. It also gives the Minister of Citizenship and Immigration more power to withdraw or suspend refugee claims, and requires hearings to be paused if a claimant leaves Canada. The bill also allows the Governor in Council to cancel, suspend, or vary immigration documents (like visas and work permits) in the public interest. On the financial crime side, the bill increases penalties for money laundering offences, creates a mandatory compliance agreement system for violators, requires more businesses to register with Canada's financial intelligence agency (FINTRAC), and bans large cash transactions of $10,000 or more in certain contexts. It also creates a new law (the Supporting Authorized Access to Information Act) that requires electronic service providers to help authorized government agencies access encrypted or protected communications during lawful investigations.
Automatically generated from bill text using Claude
Vibes
0 responses