Senate committee recommends removing immigration measures from border bill

Senators on the social affairs committee wants to see immigration-related sections in the government's border bill, C-12, removed or significantly modified by the Senate national security committee.

The national security committee is responsible for tabling amendments, while the social affairs committee has conducted an in-depth study of the bill's immigration measures.

That report, obtained by The Canadian Press, says the committee heard concerns the legislation contains possible human rights violations, executive powers overreach and lack of procedural fairness.

Bill C-12 proposes barring people who first came to Canada more than a year ago from filing refugee claims and would give the government the power to cancel or modify a host of immigration documents, including permanent residency cards.

The committee's report says if the national security committee opts not to remove the sections on immigration, it should introduce more robust parliamentary oversight to the law and include a sunset clause to require a parliamentary review.

The Senate national security committee will conduct a clause-by-clause study of the bill today, during which amendments can be introduced.

Picture Courtesy: THE CANADIAN PRESS/Sean Kilpatrick