Borderlines

Steven Meurrens and Deanna Okun-Nachoff
  • 4.8 (67)
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A podcast for the discussion of Canadian immigration law and policy, although we often delve into other topics. Each episode features 2-3 lawyers, academics, politicians, and stakeholders discussing current migration issues. Hosted by Steven Meurrens and Deanna Okun-Nachoff, two immigration lawyers in Vancouver, British Columbia. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

  1. 1D AGO

    #201 - The Emergencies Act and the Freedom Convoy

    Josh Dehaas, Interim Litigation Director at the Canadian Constitution Foundation (CCF), joins to walk through the Federal Court of Appeal’s Emergencies Act decision, often referred to as the “Freedom Convoy” case. Topics discussed include what actually happened in Ottawa in early 2022, why existing laws were already available to address blockades, what it practically meant when the Emergencies Act was invoked nationwide, protest bands, the freezing of bank accounts and why public support for extraordinary measures can be durable. Guest: Josh Dehaas, Interim Litigation Director, Canadian Constitution Foundation CCF podcast: Not Reserving Judgment Chapters / timestamps 4:38 – Setting the stage: COVID restrictions, mandates, and public frustration 11:45 – Border blockades 22:50 – What invoking the Emergencies Act meant nationwide 29:28 – Was there a coherent convoy “message”? 31:24 – Did it accelerate the end of restrictions? (Ontario vs. federal) 35:32 – What this says about Canada, public opinion, and civil liberties 40:09 – What the Federal Court / FCA held (speech, search/seizure, emergency threshold) Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    45 min

  2. FEB 17

    #200 - Building a Corporate Immigration Law Practice

    Jonathan Leebosh is a recently retired partner and longtime leader of EY Law’s immigration practice in Vancouver. In this episode Jonathan reflects on a career that took him from refugee camps in Hong Kong with the UNHCR to building a corporate immigration practices inside a Big Four firm. Topics discussed include how EY Law scaled, serving multinational corporate clients, managing people, policy innovation, the growing role of national security in immigration decisions, processing delays, and advice for young lawyers and consultants hoping to move from individual files to corporate work. 07:20 – Building EY Law’s corporate immigration practice 16:30 – Managing people vs. practicing law 24:00 – Policy innovation and lobbying 41:30 – The state of Canadian immigration Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    57 min

  3. FEB 9

    #199 - Is Canada’s Population Decline Good for the Economy?

    Canada is deliberately slowing, and possibly reversing, its population growth. But what does that actually mean for the economy? We are joined by economist Mikuel Scutterat for a wide-ranging and candid conversation about Canada’s immigration reset, GDP per capita, shrinking rental markets, Express Entry category draws, francophone targets, regional programs, and the political risks of a rapidly changing system, winners and losers when immigration rises or falls, why focusing on “essential workers” may be bad long-term policy and social cohesion. 03:06 – Does population size actually matter for prosperity? 10:45 – Falling rents and distributional effects 15:01 – Human capital vs labour shortages 20:39 – Are French targets distorting outcomes? Listener Questions 32:55 – Economics of mass regularization 39:02 – Regional immigration targets 43:39 – Country caps 48:57 – Underemployment Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    54 min

  4. FEB 3

    #198 - How Decisions Get Written, with Justice Peter Edelmann

    In this audio-only reunion episode, former Borderlines Podcast host Peter Edelman joins to discuss life on the British Columbia Court of Appeal. Topics discussed include how decisions get made and written, the role of counsel in shaping outcomes, pressures facing Canada’s judicial review system, judicial collegiality and dissenting reasons, immigration backlogs, adversarial justice, and the emotional weight of judging. 2:16 – Learning curve: trial court vs appellate court 6:31 – Does good lawyering really matter in judicial review? 19:28 – Precision in judgments & unintended interpretations 23:40 – Dissents, concurrences & shaping the law 27:17 – Should judges clarify controversial rulings later? 33:06 – Rethinking adversarial justice 49:06 – Is it easier to judge or be judged? 55:07 – Does being a judge change personal decision-making? https://youtu.be/nJ8kM4zJLdU?si=5L4nmGJz5eaKbXAm Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    1h 8m

  5. JAN 26

    #197 - New World Order

    We discuss possible immigration implications of Mark Carney’s recent speech at the World Economic Forum in Davos. Topics discussed include trade agreements, mobility rights, national security screening, CUSMA, and the growing tension between rule-based systems and political reality. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    30 min

  6. JAN 19

    #196 - Canada’s Healthcare Crisis & Immigration, with Dr. Brian Day

    Canada is increasingly turning to immigration to address a growing healthcare shortage, but is the system actually built to absorb more doctors? Steven Meurrens and Deanna Okun-Nachoff are joined by Dr. Brian Day (orthopedic surgeon and past president of the Canadian Medical Association) to unpack how policy decisions created today’s physician and nursing shortages, why hospitals ration care under fixed budgets, and what that means for internationally trained doctors trying to build careers in Canada. Topics discussed include the decline of family medicine, ER overcrowding, delayed diagnosis and higher long-term costs, Canadians seeking faster care abroad, credential recognition, new pathways for physicians, medical inadmissibility and more. Follow Dr. Brian Day on X/Twitter: @drbrianday Timestamps 02:53 — 1990s cuts 10:29 — “Rationing” healthcare 22:21 — Canadians going abroad for treatment 28:10 — Immigration meets healthcare Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    52 min

  7. JAN 12

    #195 - 2026 Predictions for Canadian Immigration Law

    The first Borderlines episode of 2026 is our annual recap + predictions roundtable with Ottawa immigration lawyer Tamara Mosher-Kuczer. We look back at what actually happened in 2025, what surprised us most, and what 2026 might bring. Timestamps / Chapters 0:52 Looking back: how many predictions were right last year? 14:40 2026 predictions 39:46 Listener question: What will happen with caregivers? 42:28 Listener prediction: Turning asylum into a temporary pathway 46:11 Listener question: Trades vs. Francophones 52:12 Listner question: LMIA exemptions / significant benefit work permits—any expansion? 57:56 Will Canada's population increase or decrease in 2026? Subscribe for weekly immigration law breakdowns and policy updates, and tell us: What’s your boldest 2026 immigration prediction? Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    1h 2m

  8. 2025-12-22

    #194 - Are You Now a Canadian

    Amandeep Hayer and Lisa Middlemiss, co-authors of the book Canadian Citizenship: What Practitioners Need to Know, discuss citizenship by descent now that Bill C-3 is in force. Topics discussed include what changed under Bill C-3, citizienship by descent, how far citizenship can be traced back, proving citizenship without provincial birth certificates, interim measures vs. proof of citizenship applications, processing times, urgent requests, Canadians without proof who can’t get work permits or SINs, why adoptees may still be treated differently, fraud concerns, and how many Americans may now be Canadian citizens. We also answer live listener questions and comments, including whether Canada will now have to many new Canadians, a possible TR → PR pathway, work permit options for foreign doctors, slow processing times, Bill C-12 and Canadian immigration law predictions for 2026. Amandeep's blog post on Bill C-3 can be found here - https://hayerlawoffice.ca/2025/11/03/no-bill-c-3-does-not-create-a-new-second-generation/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    1 hr
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4.8
out of 5
67 Ratings

About

A podcast for the discussion of Canadian immigration law and policy, although we often delve into other topics. Each episode features 2-3 lawyers, academics, politicians, and stakeholders discussing current migration issues. Hosted by Steven Meurrens and Deanna Okun-Nachoff, two immigration lawyers in Vancouver, British Columbia. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Information

  • Creator
    Steven Meurrens and Deanna Okun-Nachoff
  • Years Active
    2016 - 2026
  • Episodes
    211
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © All rights reserved
  • Show Website
    Borderlines

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