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Toronto Star: Opinion

Border bill primed to give Mark Carney’s government sweeping new powers. Who asked for this?

Prime Minister Mark Carney’s first piece of legislation pulls away the welcome mat for asylum seekers. It makes it nearly impossible for those who have been in Canada for more than a year, either as students, permanent residents, or temporary workers, and those who’ve snuck into Canada between land border crossings and have been here for more than two weeks, from having their asylum cases heard.

“A lot of people are going to get rejected because they’re not going to have an opportunity to explain for themselves why they would be in danger when they go back (home),” said Adam Sadinsky, an immigration and refugee lawyer with Silcoff Shacter in Toronto.

On Parliament Hill, the NDP’s Jenny Kwan described the law as “violating people’s due process and taking away people’s basic rights,” and also noted that it will drive people underground.

Toronto Star: Carney government introduces bill to beef up border security

NDP MP Jenny Kwan said the bill should be “alarming” to Canadians and risks breaching their civil liberties, particularly for its changes on immigration.

“They are trying to create this illusion that Canada’s border is more secure in some way, but however, a lot of the components within the bill targets Canada’s own immigration policies and processes that has nothing to do with the United States,” she said, questioning why there were no measures specifically targeting illegal guns coming from the U.S., for example.

“There are lots of pieces that I think should be concerning to Canadians.”

Anandasangaree, a former human rights lawyer, defended seeking those new powers Tuesday.

“I worked my entire life in the protection of human rights and civil liberties. That’s a marquee part of the work that I’ve done before politics, in politics,” he told reporters.

Globe & Mail: Border bill would give authorities sweeping security powers and restrict asylum claims

NDP immigration critic Jenny Kwan told reporters that the bill could drive people whose visa applications have been cancelled or asylum claims unheard to live underground without documents. She also raised privacy concerns about proposals in the bill to allow government departments - including the immigration department - to share people’s personal information.

“I’m very concerned that those who have submitted claims in the immigration system will, all of a sudden, find their application being withdrawn,” she added.

In addition to the asylum changes, the bill also proposes new powers to border and law enforcement agencies.

The bill would give police and intelligence services enhanced power to access electronic information, in some cases without a warrant granted by a court.

iPolitics: Feds introduce border security bill to address ‘irritants’ for White House

NDP MP Jenny Kwan, the party’s critic for immigration and public safety, said the bill “should be alarming to many Canadians.”

“What we’re looking at is the government giving authority, broad-sweeping authority within government to cancel applications, to withdraw applications, to suspend applications, even those that are already in the inventory that is under process,” Kwan said of the proposed changes to the immigration system. “The other thing that the bill would enable is for people’s private information to be shared, and much of this authority is not prescribed in the legislation, but rather it will come out later on by regulation. So, that is to say we actually don’t even know how it is going to work.”

“I am very concerned that people’s privacies would be breeched. I’m very concerned that those who have submitted claims in the immigration system will, all of a sudden, find their application being withdrawn. And so, these are some of the measures that the government is bringing forward with this bill.”

The Conservatives did not respond to iPolitics‘ questions regarding whether they would support the proposed legislation.

Global News: Canada aims to tighten asylum rules, combat fentanyl with new border bill

NDP public safety critic Jenny Kwan took particular issue with the proposed government powers to suspend immigration applications and enhanced information sharing, which she called “alarming,” as well as the lack of a clear appeals process.

“They’re putting in all kinds of limitations, really trying to effectively prevent people from accessing asylum claims here in Canada,” she told reporters in Ottawa.

“Canada may as well just say to the international community, ‘We no longer support asylum seekers.’ They may as well just be honest about that.”

OPEN LETTER: To Prime Minister and Housing Minister on Affordable Housing Commitment Details

BBC: Canada proposes sweeping immigration and security bill

Jenny Kwan, a member of parliament from the left-leaning New Democratic Party, said the bill "should be alarming to many Canadians".
A big chunk of the new legislation deals with curbing the flow of fentanyl and illegal weapons across the US-Canada border - an issue that US President Donald Trump has used as justification for his tariffs on Canada.

Canadian Press: Federal bill includes new security powers to tighten border, immigration system

NDP public safety and immigration critic Jenny Kwan disagreed with the minister, saying the bill "should be alarming to many Canadians" because it would allow the government to breach civil liberties.

Kwan said she was particularly concerned about the planned powers to share immigration-related information and cancel applications already in the system.

She said a prospective newcomer to Canada could follow the required steps and "out of the blue, after this bill passes, the government can then just decide, 'I'm sorry, I'm just going to withdraw your application. I'm going to suspend your application. I'm just going to deny your application.'

"Is that striking a fair balance of civil liberties? I think not."

 

ICIJ: Canadian lawmakers urge action against international regression in wake of China Targets probe

International Consortium of Investigative Journalists: Members of Parliament have called on the newly elected government to enforce a law against transnational repression following reports of Chinese authorities targeting Canadian residents.

Jenny Kwan, a member of the left-leaning New Democratic Party who herself is an “evergreen” target of the Chinese government according to Canda’s intelligence agency, told ICIJ media partner CBC News that countering transnational repression has become an urgent matter.

“In light of the CBC investigation and the reports that have now come out, you would think that this would be a priority for the government,” Kwan, who was born in Hong Kong, said in an interview. “But so far, I have yet to hear the prime minister say foreign interference, transnational repression is a top priority for them.”

CPAC VIDEO: Scrum on Government's Bill C-2 Strong Borders Act

Click the image to watch the CPAC video