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Canada witnesses An increase in Refugees’ arrival despite closing its land borders

This year, Canada entered into a deal with the United States aimed at curbing the influx of asylum seekers. At first, it appeared like a swift success. Within a matter of days, the number of individuals apprehended at unofficial border crossings significantly decreased.

However, five months later, the overall figure of individuals filing refugee claims in Canada has increased instead of declining. Many are now arriving by air, while others clandestinely cross the border. They remain hidden until they can apply for asylum without the fear of immediate deportation.

Canada

These statistics illustrate the challenge countries face when attempting to restrict entry for desperate asylum seekers, revealing the difficulties posed by unexpected surges in their numbers. In Toronto, for instance, hundreds of individuals slept on the streets during the summer while grappling with the challenge of finding shelter.

Shauna Labman, an associate professor and acting director of the Human Rights Program at the University of Winnipeg, emphasized, “The basic reality is that closing a border doesn’t do anything to solve the need for protection. It only increases the desperation.”

Despite the efforts, in the previous year alone, over 39,000 asylum seekers entered Canada through unofficial border crossings. Asylum seekers are drawn to Canada due to its reputation for faster processing and a higher acceptance rate of asylum applications compared to the United States.

Influx Continues to Surge Despite Pact

In response to this situation, Canada and the United States amended their two-decade-old asylum-seeker pact, the Safe Third Country Agreement, in March. This expansion broadened the agreement’s application to cover the entire 4,000-mile land border between the two countries, rather than just at official ports of entry.

While this expanded pact resulted in a significant reduction in the number of individuals intercepted at informal border crossings, decreasing to double digits from 4,173 in March for the period of April through July, the overall influx of asylum seekers into Canada has surged. In July, the total number of refugee claims reached 12,010 – the highest monthly total since at least January 2017 – up from 10,120 in March, according to data from the Department of Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship.

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