**Canada to Offer One-Time Amnesty for Asylum Seekers** Canada's federal budget has announced a plan to provide a one-time mass amnesty for certain asylum seekers, as part of efforts to manage immigration more effectively. Starting in 2026, the government will implement a $120.4 million program aimed at fast-tracking eligible protected persons to permanent residency.

Under Canadian law, a protected person is defined as an asylum seeker whose refugee claim has been reviewed and approved by authorities. The budget does not specify how many protected persons will be eligible for this fast-track process. Currently, Canada has a record number of individuals within its refugee system, with 497,443 asylum claimants and protected persons, a figure comparable to the population of metropolitan Halifax.

Among these, there are 287,786 asylum claimants awaiting hearings from the Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada. This number has surged from just 16,058 claimants in 2015, when the Liberal government first took office. The increase is attributed to a significant rise in the number of foreigners entering Canada and seeking refugee status.

According to the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act, any foreigner who passes a preliminary security screening can claim asylum and remain in Canada while their case is processed. In 2015, the Canada Border Services Agency processed 7,110 asylum claims. By last year, that number had skyrocketed to 58,050, marking an increase of over 800 percent.

Despite the surge, the 2025 budget notes that asylum claims have decreased by a third from their peak during the Trudeau administration. The current refugee system includes over 114,373 individuals who entered Canada illegally since 2017, many of whom crossed into Quebec from New York State via Roxham Road, which was closed in 2023.

Additionally, a significant number of temporary migrants, including international students, have contributed to the asylum claim numbers. Last year, international students accounted for 20,245 asylum claims as their visas expired. Historical acceptance rates suggest that most asylum claimants will eventually be recognized as protected persons. In 2024, for example, the Immigration and Refugee Board reviewed 73,456 cases, accepting 46,480 and rejecting only 11,761.

The immigration provisions in the 2025 budget primarily focus on reducing immigration levels from the post-COVID highs. Following the pandemic, Canada rapidly reopened its borders, leading to a surge in migration. The budget describes the current immigration system as "dysfunctional and inefficient," stating that the influx of newcomers has outpaced Canada's capacity to support them.

In a related political development, Prime Minister Mark Carney announced the budget on the same day that Conservative MP Chris d'Entremont from Nova Scotia crossed the floor to join the Liberal caucus. This shift adds to the dynamics of the current political landscape as the government seeks to address immigration challenges.