Canada Moves to Gain Power for Mass Visa Cancellations Targeting Fraud by Indians, Bangladeshis

The Canadian government is seeking the authority to mass-cancel visas for applicants from Bangladesh and India in an effort to curb immigration-related fraud involving nationals of these two countries, according to a report by Canadian broadcaster CBC citing confidential internal documents.

A recent presentation was held at Canada’s Ministry of Immigration, where a classified document prepared by two agencies under the ministry — Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) and the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) — was discussed. The report also mentioned that several US agencies collaborated on the document, although CBC did not disclose their names.

The Canadian federal government is reportedly preparing to form an official alliance between IRCC, CBSA, and the US agencies. The proposed coalition will focus primarily on identifying visa applicants engaged in fraudulent activities and invalidating their applications.

Although the alliance will scrutinise applications and documentation from all countries, the proposal places particular emphasis on those submitted by applicants from Bangladesh and India. These two countries have been categorised under “country-specific challenges” in the ministry’s internal report.

Under Canada’s constitution, the federal government currently holds the authority to cancel visas en masse only in circumstances of war or global emergencies such as pandemics. However, the presentation reportedly recommends expanding this authority to include countries listed as having “country-specific challenges”, which would bring Bangladesh and India under that jurisdiction.

The proposal has already been submitted to the Canadian Parliament in the form of a bill, which is expected to pass soon.

Meanwhile, more than 300 civil society organisations, including the Migrant Rights Network, have expressed serious concern over the proposed bill. They fear that if enacted, it could effectively transform the Canadian government into what they describe as a “mass deportation machine”.

Applications for asylum in Canada from India and Bangladesh have been rising steadily. In May 2023, around 500 Indian citizens applied for refugee status in Canada, while by July 2024, that number had surged to approximately 2,000.

Source: CBC