India, June 4 -- Amid accusations of misuse of Canada's refugee system, the government has introduced legislation that aims at curbing the sharp escalation in asylum claims over the past couple of years, including a major increase in the number of those from India.

The changes are part of the larger Strong Borders Act, proposed by Canada's Minister of Public Safety Gary Anandasangaree in parliament on Tuesday.

A backgrounder on the bill stated that among "proposed ineligibility measures" to "protect the asylum system against sudden increases in claims", those made by people more than one year after first arriving in Canada after June 24, 2020, would not be referred to the Immigration and Refugee Board or IRB. "This would apply to anyone...