Refugee Reform

The changes to the immigration and refugee protection system under the Protecting Canada's Immigration System Act (Bill C-31) and the Balanced Refugee Reform Act (Bill C-11) came into force on December 15, 2012.

Canada introduced major reforms to its refugee status determination system to deliver faster decisions, deter abuse and quickly remove unsuccessful refugee claimants. These reforms include measures to strengthen the immigration system by reducing identity fraud through the use of biometric data such as fingerprints and photos in the Temporary Resident Program.  The final component of the new legislation incorporates measures to address human smuggling and irregular arrivals.

The Balanced Refugee Reform Act and the Protecting Canada's Immigration System Act continue to support the underlying principles of Canada's asylum system, which include ensuring fairness, protecting genuine refugees and upholding Canada's humanitarian tradition. The new refugee determination system also fully meets Canada's international and domestic legal obligations to asylum seekers.

Learn more about refugee reform under the Canada Border Services Agency and Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada.

Date modified:

2019-07-16