Borderlines

We take a look at the newly released 2025 report from Canadian Security Intelligence Service (CSIS), and what it tells us about immigration security screening in Canada.CSIS reports that it received 438,600 immigration security referrals in 2025, a notable drop from prior years. Yet, at the same time, overall inventories remain at historic highs. Topics discussed include the CSIS report, including what CSIS says are the impact of mandamus and NSIRA complaints on security screening. The CSIS Report can be found here - https://www.canada.ca/en/security-intelligence-service/corporate/publications/csis-public-report-2025.html Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Steven Meurrens and Deanna Okun-Nachoff break down the explosive findings from the Office of the Auditor General of Canada on Canada’s report on the international student program.Topics discussed include the unexplained drops in study permit approvals, IRCC's lack of funds to address fraud, risk profiling practices, the disconnect between government targets and real-world outcomes, and what stricter enforcement and new leadership at Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada could mean going forward. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

We explore one of the most complex and under-examined areas of Canadian immigration law: immigration detention—and the role that race and systemic bias may play within it.Topics discussed include the legal grounds for immigration detention, why race-based data is largely unavailable in Canada, evidence suggesting disproportionate detention of Black men, the interplay between immigration, policing, and the criminal justice system, how discretion and lack of oversight may allow systemic issues to persist, the reality that Canada has no time limits on immigration detention, and practical recommendations for reform, including independent oversight and better data collection.Efrat Arbel is an Associate Professor at the University of British Columbia Allard School of Law. Her work focuses on the law and policy of immigration detention, refugee protection, and border governance. Prasanna Balasundaram is the Director of Downtown Legal Services at the University of Toronto. Nana Yanful is a lawyer based in Tkaronto/To

In this episode of the Borderlines Podcast, Amandeep Hayer and Steven Meurrens break down the latest Express Entry reforms under consideration by IRCC, and what they could mean for applicants, lawyers, and Canada’s immigration system as a whole.We walk through newly released consultation materials (shared with permission from the Canadian Bar Association), including:a complete overhaul of Express Entry, including merging the Canadian Experience Class, the Federal Skilled Worker Class and the Federal Skilled Trades Class into a single program;a shift toward high-wage occupations as a key selection factor;the potential removal or reduction of points for spouses, French language ability, Canadian study, and siblings in Canada; andchanges to language thresholds, work experience requirements, and ranking criteria.We also explore the broader policy implications, including whether these reforms will actually improve outcomes. As it turns out, when it comes to predicting earnings in Canada the points do matter.IRCC's

Steven Meurrens and Deanna Okun-Nachoff are again joined by retired CSIS analyst Phil Gurski, this time to unpack the growing issue of transnational repression in Canada.Drawing on Phil’s recent report for the Montreal Institute for Global Security, the conversation explores how foreign states monitor, intimidate, and coerce individuals on Canadian soil, often targeting diaspora communities through surveillance, threats, and pressure on family members abroad.The discussion focuses on how these activities intersect with Canadian immigration law, including:Whether transnational repression fits within existing inadmissibility categories like espionage and subversionThe challenge of defining “national security” in immigration decisionsThe tension between protecting victims and finding them inadmissibleThe role of proxies, including organized crime, in carrying out foreign state objectivesWhy police responses often fall short when conduct doesn’t clearly meet national security thresholdsKey Topics & Timestamps

In this lighter episode of Borderlines, we take a break from the usual deep dives into immigration law to tackle something every new Canadian faces: the citizenship test.We start with a quick overview of how the test works. Format, requirements, and recent procedural updates. We then put ourselves on the spot with real sample questions. What follows is a mix of correct answers, educated guesses, and a few humbling moments.Along the way, we also discuss whether the citizenship test actually measures anything meaningful, the challenges faced by applicants seeking waivers, and whether knowledge-based testing should play a role in determining who becomes Canadian. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

A discussion of the Federal Court of Appeal's decision in Benison v. Canada (Royal Canadian Mounted Police External Review Committee), 2026 FCA 53. The decision opens with the following Supreme Court of Canada quote - "The common law system has always abhorred delay. In our system’s development of the courts’ supervisory role over administrative processes through mandamus, we see a crystallizing potential to compel government officers to do their duty and, in so doing, to avoid delay in administrative processes."And it really drives home that allocation of resources in of itself justify delays, open ended delays are unacceptable, significant prejudice is not required, queue jumping does not in of itself preclude mandamus, and more.Previous Borderlines podcast episodes where we discussed mandamus include episodes 57 and 117. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

We are joined once again by Amandeep Hayer and Lisa Middlemiss, to discuss citizenship by descent post Bill C-3With thousands of people, particularly Americans, now exploring whether they qualify for Canadian citizenship through a distant ancestor, we discuss how the law works, how to prove eligibility, and the practical challenges involved.We also discuss the genealogy research often required to prove citizenship, archival birth records, IRCC processing issues, the interim measures, and the broader policy implications of expanding citizenship while immigration pathways tighten.03:01 Quick recap: who qualifies for Canadian citizenship by descent under the new framework08:27 The main challenge: proving ancestry and lineage13:33 Situations where someone may think they qualify but actually don’t (e.g., adoption issues)27:43 Can someone apply for a study permit or work permit if they might already be Canadian?Audience Questions:33:14 British subjects in Canada during WWII35:26 What happened to the interim citizen

Do Canadians have the right to travel throughout the country? A discussion of the Supreme Court of Canada decision in Taylor v. Newfoundland and Labrador, 2026 SCC 5. Topics discussed include the decision, s. 6 of the Charter, whether Canadians and permanent residents have a right to travel between provinces, how section 1 of the Charter can justify limits on rights, provincial nominee programs and post-landing mobility, misrepresentation concerns when intended province of residence changes and Bill C-12. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this impromptu episode, we get a first person account of how one social justice advocate made the leap from journalist to Senator. The conversation is full of insight into the role that Senate plays in protecting the democratic process -- in particular around challenging legislation such as Bill C-12, which is approaching third reading. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Former CBSA Chief Christian Lane explains how CBSA immigration investigations and deportations work in Canada.Topics discussed include CBSA investigative priorities, removals, organized crime investigations, misrepresentation, Bill C-12, refugee claims, intelligence work, the political pressure shaping immigration enforcement, whether immigration enforcement agencies sometimes pursue “low-hanging fruit” when removing individuals from Canada, and agency culture. Christian Lane hosts the Team 1080 podcast, which features interviews with professionals working in public safety, law enforcement, healthcare, and military roles.2:00 Immigration investigations 6:00 Enforcement priorities15:05 Extortion investigations 25:03 Discretion43:34 Why CBSA ranked last among federal agencies in employee satisfaction Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This epsiode offers insight into Professor Aiken's ongoing efforts to raise concern with Bill C-12 (the Stronger Borders legislation currently before Senate) -- both with the Canadian government, and with the UN Human Rights Committee. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This was originally intended to be a YouTube only episode but several podcast listeners asked that we add it to the audio-only feed as well. A break down the new Express Entry categories announced on February 18, 2026, with a particular focus on the senior managers with Canadian work experience category.Key topics include:Why this category generally does not help entrepreneurs or owner-operators.How IRCC assesses self-employment.What it really means to be a senior manager (NOC 00).Federal Court cases discussed on what constitutes "senior management" include Recursive Craft Inc. v. Canada (Employment and Social Development), 2022 FC 1206, and Merijohn v. Canada (Citizenship and Immigration), 2025 FC 1003. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

As of November 2025, internal IRCC projections reveal a stark reality about Canada’s security screening system. Based on recent processing times by partner agencies and current inventory levels, permanent residence applications referred for comprehensive security screening are projected to take approximately 64.8 months to complete. For temporary residence applications, the projected timeline is 30.3 months.Lev Abramovich joins to break down what these projections actually mean and current issues with security screening. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Josh Dehaas, Interim Litigation Director at the Canadian Constitution Foundation (CCF), joins to walk through the Federal Court of Appeal’s Emergencies Act decision, often referred to as the “Freedom Convoy” case.Topics discussed include what actually happened in Ottawa in early 2022, why existing laws were already available to address blockades, what it practically meant when the Emergencies Act was invoked nationwide, protest bands, the freezing of bank accounts and why public support for extraordinary measures can be durable.Guest: Josh Dehaas, Interim Litigation Director, Canadian Constitution FoundationCCF podcast: Not Reserving JudgmentChapters / timestamps4:38 – Setting the stage: COVID restrictions, mandates, and public frustration11:45 – Border blockades22:50 – What invoking the Emergencies Act meant nationwide29:28 – Was there a coherent convoy “message”?31:24 – Did it accelerate the end of restrictions? (Ontario vs. federal)35:32 – What this says about Canada, public opinion, and civil liberties40:

Jonathan Leebosh is a recently retired partner and longtime leader of EY Law’s immigration practice in Vancouver.In this episode Jonathan reflects on a career that took him from refugee camps in Hong Kong with the UNHCR to building a corporate immigration practices inside a Big Four firm. Topics discussed include how EY Law scaled, serving multinational corporate clients, managing people, policy innovation, the growing role of national security in immigration decisions, processing delays, and advice for young lawyers and consultants hoping to move from individual files to corporate work.07:20 – Building EY Law’s corporate immigration practice16:30 – Managing people vs. practicing law24:00 – Policy innovation and lobbying41:30 – The state of Canadian immigration Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Canada is deliberately slowing, and possibly reversing, its population growth. But what does that actually mean for the economy?We are joined by economist Mikuel Scutterat for a wide-ranging and candid conversation about Canada’s immigration reset, GDP per capita, shrinking rental markets, Express Entry category draws, francophone targets, regional programs, and the political risks of a rapidly changing system, winners and losers when immigration rises or falls, why focusing on “essential workers” may be bad long-term policy and social cohesion. 03:06 – Does population size actually matter for prosperity?10:45 – Falling rents and distributional effects15:01 – Human capital vs labour shortages20:39 – Are French targets distorting outcomes?Listener Questions32:55 – Economics of mass regularization39:02 – Regional immigration targets 43:39 – Country caps48:57 – Underemployment Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this audio-only reunion episode, former Borderlines Podcast host Peter Edelman joins to discuss life on the British Columbia Court of Appeal. Topics discussed include how decisions get made and written, the role of counsel in shaping outcomes, pressures facing Canada’s judicial review system, judicial collegiality and dissenting reasons, immigration backlogs, adversarial justice, and the emotional weight of judging. 2:16 – Learning curve: trial court vs appellate court 6:31 – Does good lawyering really matter in judicial review? 19:28 – Precision in judgments & unintended interpretations 23:40 – Dissents, concurrences & shaping the law 27:17 – Should judges clarify controversial rulings later? 33:06 – Rethinking adversarial justice 49:06 – Is it easier to judge or be judged? 55:07 – Does being a judge change personal decision-making?https://youtu.be/nJ8kM4zJLdU?si=5L4nmGJz5eaKbXAm Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

We discuss possible immigration implications of Mark Carney’s recent speech at the World Economic Forum in Davos. Topics discussed include trade agreements, mobility rights, national security screening, CUSMA, and the growing tension between rule-based systems and political reality. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Canada is increasingly turning to immigration to address a growing healthcare shortage, but is the system actually built to absorb more doctors? Steven Meurrens and Deanna Okun-Nachoff are joined by Dr. Brian Day (orthopedic surgeon and past president of the Canadian Medical Association) to unpack how policy decisions created today’s physician and nursing shortages, why hospitals ration care under fixed budgets, and what that means for internationally trained doctors trying to build careers in Canada.Topics discussed include the decline of family medicine, ER overcrowding, delayed diagnosis and higher long-term costs, Canadians seeking faster care abroad, credential recognition, new pathways for physicians, medical inadmissibility and more.Follow Dr. Brian Day on X/Twitter: @drbriandayTimestamps02:53 — 1990s cuts 10:29 — “Rationing” healthcare 22:21 — Canadians going abroad for treatment28:10 — Immigration meets healthcare Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.