Bill C-2: When Canada closes its doors to refugees

by Hady Anne, activist campaigning for migrant justice

Since the introduction of Bill C-2, presented by Ottawa as a measure for “rigorous border security,” we have witnessed a dangerous offensive against the right to asylum and the fundamental rights of migrants.

Criminalizing refugees

Under the pretext of order and security, C-2 imposes new barriers:

    an asylum claim becomes inadmissible if it is filed more than one year after arrival in Canada;

"As proposed, a claim would be ineligible for referral if refugee protection is claimed more than one year after an individual’s first entry into Canada after June 24, 2020". »  (canada.justice.gc.ca)

    anyone crossing the border “irregularly” from the United States will have only 14 days to file their application.

"In addition, a claim is ineligible for referral if a claimant arrives in Canada between land ports of entry from the United States and makes a claim for refugee protection 14 days or more after the day on which they entered Canada. This is set out in subsection 159.4(1.1) of the Immigration and Refugee Protection Regulations." (canada.justice.gc.ca)

These arbitrary deadlines will result in people in danger being rejected without even being granted a fair and equitable hearing.

Rights stripped of their meaning

People excluded from the full asylum system will be redirected to a minimalist procedure, the Risk Assessment Before Removal (ERAR), known for its massive rejection rates and lack of hearings.

In plain language: C-2 jeopardizes the principle of non-refoulement, a cornerstone of international law that prohibits returning someone to a country where they risk persecution or death.

An increasingly secure state

C-2 does not stop there:

    expansion of surveillance and sharing of personal data;

    discretionary powers allowing applications to be rejected en masse in the name of “public interest”;

    confusion between migration and crime.

We know where this kind of logic leads: to the stigmatization of racialized communities and undocumented immigrants, and to the erosion of freedoms for all.

Why we must resist

This bill is not just a piece of legislation: it reflects a worldview in which borders are valued more than human lives.

C-2 targets the most vulnerable: women who are victims of violence, families displaced by war, people persecuted for their opinions or identity. Passing such a law would normalize injustice and betray Canada's international commitments.

A collective response

We call for:

    informing and raising awareness everywhere, in our neighbourhoods, schools, and workplaces;

    giving a voice to those most affected through testimonials, public interventions, and artistic creations;

    organizing street demonstrations* during parliamentary debates and in front of elected officials' offices;

    demand the outright withdrawal of C-2 and defend policies of reception and regularization.

Another vision is possible.

True security does not lie in closing borders, but in social justice, solidarity, and human dignity.

Our lives are worth more than their borders.

*Solidarity Across Borders (SAB) is organizing a demonstration on October 19 against Bill C-2 in solidarity with undocumented migrants and for the withdrawal of the Safe Third Country Agreement (STCA) — editoriale addendum

A BILL WITH CLEAR AUTHORITARIAN TENDENCIES

Bill C-2 would also give Canadian authorities increased surveillance power. 

In particular, it proposes to grant the police the power to require platforms to "provide information" on users — including their name, pseudonyms, identifiers, telephone number and address —, even without a warrant.

The other part that is particularly worrying (Supporting Authorized Access to Information Act) essentially proposes to allow the government to force communication platforms such as Signal and Telegram to make all electronic communications — including encrypted ones — potentially accessible to authorities by creating what is known as a backdoor. Equally worrying is that communication platforms required to install this backdoor would not be allowed to notify the users concerned.