Immigration policy shifts in Canada and Luxembourg

In Canada, the immigration service has declined to specify whether applicants abused a refugee sponsorship policy that recently expired. The policy allowed certain refugees to sponsor family members for permanent residency, even if those members were not included in the initial application.

Advocates and academics noted the policy was frequently used to sponsor children and LGBTQ+ partners from countries where such relationships are criminalized. Legal experts, including immigration lawyer Nir Gepner, have criticized the expiration of the policy, arguing that the resulting lifetime ban on sponsorship for undeclared family members undermines the goal of refugee family reunification.

In Luxembourg, Interior Minister Léon Gloden reported a significant increase in the return of individuals in irregular situations and rejected international protection seekers since 2023. Over the last six years, 1,736 people have left Luxembourg, including 1,187 voluntary departures and 549 forced returns. Since 2020, authorities have issued 6,381 return decisions, with 1,514 executed to date.