Canada's Immigration Board Cuts Jobs, Backlog Grows

0:00Canada's Immigration and Refugee Board is slashing 53 jobs as part of Prime Minister Mark Carney's big push to trim government spending. This board handles a silent claims, wrapping up 79,462 cases last year while sitting on a massive backlog of two, 195,522 outstanding ones. At the current pace, it'd take over 3.5 years just to clear that pile. Over the last decade, hitting a peak of 190,000 in 2024 before dropping to 107, 1,800 last year, that dip came from new visa rules for Mexican travelers. Tougher border checks on irregular migrants and stricter visa scrutiny. The union representing these workers is sounding the alarm, saying these cuts hit at the worst time with delays already dragging people into limbo. They're not just numbers. These are folks desperate for safety and justice and pulling staff now only makes the crisis deeper.

1:00New laws are piling on too, like the strengthening Canada's Immigration System in Borders Act, kicking in June 3rd, 2025. It bars claims after one year in country. Denies asylum to irregular crossers from the U.S. and flags about 30,000 of the 300,000 current claimants as potentially ineligible. All this realignment risks undermining due process and leaving vulnerable people exposed even more, as backlogs grow and resources shrink. Keep an eye on how these changes shake out for those seeking refuge here. Canada News. Today, powered by AI bringing you what matters. I'm Corey with The Story.