On October 8, 2025, the Government of Canada introduced Bill C-12, the Strengthening Canada’s Immigration System and Borders Act, aimed at enhancing national security, modernizing immigration controls, and equipping law enforcement agencies with stronger tools to combat organized crime and illicit trafficking.
Key Objectives of Bill C-12
- Secure Borders:
- Amend the Customs Act to combat drug trafficking, weapons smuggling, and auto theft.
- Grant the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) access to transport hubs and warehouses for inspections.
- Expand Canadian Coast Guard authority to conduct security patrols and gather intelligence.
- Strengthen Immigration Oversight:
- Introduce new rules to manage surges in asylum claims.
- Improve processing and decision-making for asylum applications.
- Empower authorities to cancel, suspend, or pause immigration documents and applications.
- Enhance data sharing across Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) and federal partners.
- Combat Transnational Crime and Illicit Financing:
- Accelerate control of precursor chemicals used in fentanyl production.
- Strengthen Canada’s Anti-Money Laundering and Anti-Terrorist Financing Regime.
- Add FINTRAC to the Financial Institutions Supervisory Committee to improve regulatory oversight.
Border Plan Investments
- 1.3 billion CAD allocated to Canada’s Border Plan, including:
- 200 million CAD for intelligence gathering and sharing on organized crime and fentanyl.
- 743.5 million CAD over five years to stabilize the asylum system.
- Recruitment of 1,000 RCMP personnel and 1,000 CBSA staff, including specialized chemists and intelligence analysts.
Legislative Context
Bill C-12 builds on elements of Bill C-2, introduced in June 2025, and reflects Canada’s commitment to working with U.S. partners to secure borders and disrupt criminal networks.
Erickson Insights & Analysis
Erickson Immigration Group will continue monitoring developments and sharing updates as more news is available. Please contact your employer or EIG attorney if you have questions about anything we’re reporting above or if you have case-specific questions.