Toronto refugee lawyers see clients ‘panicking’ as new federal law limits asylum claims
Kate McGillivray, CBC News, 24/5/2026
Nearly two months after the Canadian government passed a new law limiting how and when refugee claimants can apply for asylum, some Toronto lawyers say they’re seeing the results in their offices — and mobilizing to challenge the law in federal court.
“We’ve been seeing a ton of now-ineligible refugee claimants come to our centre seeking help,” said Joshua Eisen, in-house lawyer at the FCJ Refugee Centre in Toronto. “People are very panicked, very, very anxious.”
The Liberal government has framed Bill C-12 as a way to reduce the backlog of claims, and deter people from misusing the asylum system.
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