Thousands of refugee claimants already in the system awaiting a hearing will have their asylum claims terminated under new eligibility criteria that are applied retroactively in a law that has just taken effect.
Under the Strengthening Canada’s Immigration System and Borders Act, which received royal assent Thursday night, anyone who first arrived in Canada after June 24, 2020, will not be allowed to make a refugee claim after one year, regardless of whether they left the country and returned.
Those who have come to Canada after that date and made their claims since June 3, 2025 — when the proposed eligibility rule was initially announced — will have their claims cancelled.
What "taking back control of immigration" looks like: Under Bill C-3, anyone who can find a Canadian in their family tree is considered Canadian.
Here's an example of a person whose last Canadian ancestor was born in 1835, nearly 200 years ago. Approval took 3 weeks. https://t.co/8SwZ9qFq4u pic.twitter.com/nfwxAF4viG
— Jamie Sarkonak (@sarkonakj) March 27, 2026
This is an admission that there are a whole bunch of asylum seekers/refugees who got into Canada on visitor visas they should have never received. Their status should be revoked. https://t.co/X5674RoZ0w
— Jamie Sarkonak (@sarkonakj) March 27, 2026
