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Diab Says C-12 Could Ease some Refugee Claims, Critics Call It a Two-Tier System

This month, Bill C-12 moved from second reading into expedited committee review, sent to two Senate committees with a Feb. 24 reporting deadline, The Canadian Press reported Feb. 12, 2026.
Immigration Minister Lena Diab and Public Safety Minister Gary Anandasangaree said C-12 aims to fill gaps, address backlog, and target fentanyl trafficking and illicit finance, strengthening tools against transnational crime.
The bill would limit full IRB hearings, directing claims over 14 days after irregular entry or made over a year to pre-removal risk assessments, and expands CBSA export search powers.
Only the NDP caucus and Green Leader Elizabeth May opposed the bill while Conservative Party and Bloc Québécois amendments passed amid oversight resource concerns from National Security and Intelligence Review Agency chair Marie Deschamps.
The Senate is fast-tracking C-12 to meet a Feb. 24 committee deadline, with the Canadian Coast Guard gaining expanded information roles despite lacking law-enforcement powers, while Marie Deschamps, National Security and Intelligence Review Agency chair, warned resource limits could hamper oversight.

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