For thousands of Bangladeshis seeking refuge in Canada, the journey no longer ends with filing an asylum claim.
Instead, it begins with years of uncertainty as tighter immigration rules, declining approval rates, and a mounting backlog leave many trapped in legal limbo.
Canada’s refugee system, stretched by record numbers of asylum applications since the Covid-19 pandemic, is now undergoing one of its toughest policy shifts in years.
The changes are having a particularly significant impact on Bangladeshi applicants, whose cases are facing greater scrutiny amid growing concerns over the volume of claims.
Immigration sources estimate that around 20,000 asylum applications from Bangladesh remained pending at the end of 2025, creating lengthy waits before hearings at the Immigration and Refugee Board (IRB).
Many applicants now face delays of two to three years before their cases are heard.
The growing backlog comes as Canada grapples with mounting pressure on housing, healthcare, education, and immigration administration following a sharp rise in temporary residents, international students, foreign workers, and refugee claimants during the post-pandemic period.
Toronto and Montreal have borne the brunt of the influx.
At the height of the surge, asylum seekers were reportedly forced to spend nights in parks, bus terminals, and subway stations because of a shortage of emergency accommodation.
Bangladeshis have been among the largest groups arriving on visitor visas before seeking asylum.
Communities have expanded, particularly in Toronto’s Danforth area and Montreal’s Park Extension and Plamondon neighborhoods, where many applicants are now waiting for decisions on their refugee claims.
But approval has become increasingly difficult.
According to immigration lawyers, the approval rate for Bangladeshi asylum applications has fallen steadily, dropping from 77% in 2023-24 to 56% in 2024-25, while the first half of 2025-26 saw approvals fall to around 50%.
The tightening coincides with Canada’s adoption of Bill C-12, which significantly strengthens the government’s authority to reject asylum claims.
Under the new law, people who entered Canada after June 24, 2020, but waited more than one year before applying for asylum may have their claims rejected outright.
The legislation also imposes stricter rules on irregular border crossings from the United States and expands the government’s powers to accelerate removals and deportations.
At the same time, Ottawa has announced lower immigration targets for the coming years as it attempts to ease pressure on public services.
Canada plans to admit 395,000 permanent residents in 2025, falling to 380,000 in 2026 and 365,000 in 2027, alongside reductions in the intake of international students and temporary foreign workers.
Immigration specialists, however, stress that Canada’s asylum system remains open to applicants with genuine protection needs.
Applicants who file claims promptly, provide credible evidence of persecution or risk to life, and establish a consistent and well-documented case continue to have realistic prospects of refugee protection.
Even so, for thousands of Bangladeshi asylum seekers already inside Canada, the defining reality is no longer opportunity but uncertainty—waiting months or years for hearings while navigating an increasingly restrictive immigration system that is trying to balance humanitarian commitments with mounting domestic pressures.
