Maple News reports that the Canadian Immigration Lawyers Association (CILA) has released a detailed report calling for a major legislative overhaul of the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act (IRPA). According to CILA, the current IRPA, which has remained largely unchanged since its introduction in 2001, is outdated and no longer aligns with today’s complex immigration realities.
The longstanding legislation forms the legal backbone for how Canada manages immigration, refugee protections, and inadmissibility criteria. With immigration rapidly evolving and the Canadian government setting ambitious newcomer targets, CILA argues the need for comprehensive reform is both urgent and necessary.
The report, prepared by CILA’s Legislative Reform Committee, aims to give policymakers a clearer understanding of what immigration lawyers across the country believe to be the most pressing legislative gaps. CILA stresses that immigration law should be updated to ensure consistency, fairness, and efficiency in the Canadian immigration system.
Significant among CILA’s recommendations are proposed updates to how inadmissibility cases are handled. These changes would influence how and why individuals may be deemed inadmissible to Canada—shifting focus toward fairness, transparency, and proportionality in decision-making.
CILA, formed in 2020, is a national association composed of seasoned Canadian immigration lawyers. Its mission is to provide informed, independent analysis on immigration law and policy while engaging with stakeholders, including federal officials like Immigration Minister Marc Miller.
Throughout the year, CILA conducts high-level consultations with government representatives and provides expert feedback on legislative, procedural and operational matters impacting newcomers. Its latest report serves as a call to action for the Canadian government to modernize IRPA in line with changing social and economic realities.
While this summary focuses on recommendations around inadmissibility and family-class immigration, the full report outlines a broader framework for reform across multiple facets of IRPA. CILA encourages policymakers to treat these issues as legislative priorities to create a more equitable and responsive immigration system for the future.
Maple News will continue to monitor progress on this front as policymakers review CILA’s proposed reforms and determine how to integrate them into Canada’s immigration strategy.