Immigration Lawyers Say Automation Is Partly Driving a Massive Federal Court Backlog

Nearly 400 new Canadians from 65 countries gather at a ceremony in Toronto to take an oath of citizenship on July 19, 2024. The Canadian Press/Chris YoungThe number of immigration cases being brought to Federal Court has more than quadrupled since 2020—and some immigration lawyers are linking the surge in part to the federal government’s use of artificial intelligence and automation to clear visa application backlogs.Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada insists that technology is not to blame and that multiple factors are driving the boom in legal challenges of the department’s decisions.