Key Takeaways:
- Canada allocates $224/day for asylum seekers’ basic needs, including accommodation and meals, while awaiting claims processing.
- The Interim Housing Assistance Program, costing $557 million annually, provides temporary housing for asylum seekers in 3,800 rooms.
- Despite closing Roxham Road, illegal entries remain high, with 8,131 irregular border crossers entering in three months post-closure.
What Financial Support Do Illegal Border Crossers Receive in Canada?
As of the end of 2023, Canada recorded 42,387 pending refugee claims from individuals who entered the country illegally. Conservative MP Lianne Rood revealed that the Canadian government allocates approximately $224 per day for the basic needs of some asylum seekers. This includes accommodation and meals while their claims await processing.
How Are These Costs Broken Down?
According to official documents, the average accommodation cost stands at $140 per night per room. Meals add another $84 per day for each claimant. This sum accounts for $224 per asylum seeker, each day. Additionally, other essential items such as toiletries, medicines, and diapers are provided for free, potentially increasing the overall daily expenses.
MP Lianne Rood posted on social media her concerns:
“The NDP-Liberal government is giving TEN TIMES the benefits to illegal border jumpers than it is giving to help Canadian seniors! DISGRACEFUL!”
What Are the Current Figures on Asylum Seekers?
Most recent data from Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) indicates there are 156,032 pending asylum claims overall. However, not all of these individuals reside in Canada or in IRCC-operated hotels.
What is the Interim Housing Assistance Program?
The growing number of asylum seekers has overwhelmed municipal shelters, prompting the Trudeau government to launch the Interim Housing Assistance Program. This initiative aims to provide temporary housing for claimants without other shelter options. As of November, the program managed 3,800 rooms nationwide, accommodating around 7,000 claimants. The total annual cost of this program is estimated to be $557 million.
Who are Irregular Border Crossers?
Irregular border crossers refer to individuals who enter Canada illegally and then apply for asylum. They enter the country “between official ports of entry.” These individuals face a significant backlog, with their pending claims reaching record levels. At the end of 2023, IRCC recorded 42,387 pending refugee claims from irregular border crossers.
In just the last quarter of 2023, 2,145 people made asylum claims after entering Canada illegally—an average of one person every hour. During this period, authorities processed 4,139 cases from a backlog of 44,000. Out of these, 3,188 were approved as refugees, while 951 claims were either rejected, withdrawn, or abandoned.
What Impact Did the Roxham Road Closure Have?
Despite the Trudeau government’s closure of the Roxham Road crossing in March 2023, illegal entries remained high. For six years, Roxham Road had been a gateway for more than 100,000 illegal border crossers. The U.S. bus services and the RCMP facilities on the Canadian side facilitated this flow.
Although Canada had the option to close this crossing earlier, it chose to wait until the U.S. approved a minor modification to the Safe Third Country Agreement. However, in the three months following Roxham Road’s closure, 8,131 irregular border crossers entered Canada—a rate higher than most points when the crossing was open.
How Many Claims Have Been Approved or Rejected Since 2017?
Since the federal government began tracking irregular border crossers in early 2017, Canada has approved 39,643 as official refugees. Meanwhile, 22,611 claims have been rejected, resulting in a ratio of roughly one rejected claimant for every two approvals.
What Can Be Done?
For those interested in more details about asylum processes, visit the official Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada website. This official page offers comprehensive information on the steps involved in applying for asylum in Canada.
So, the next time you come across discussions about illegal border crossers and their benefits, it’s essential to understand the broader context and the figures involved. Whether these policies are justifiable is a topic for debate, but having the facts helps in forming a more rounded opinion.
Learn Today:
1. Refugee Claimant:
A refugee claimant is an individual who seeks protection and asylum in a country other than their own due to fear of persecution, violence, or other serious harm. In Canada, refugee claimants await a decision on their asylum applications to determine if they meet the criteria for refugee status.
2. Interim Housing Assistance Program:
The Interim Housing Assistance Program is a government initiative aimed at providing temporary housing accommodations for asylum seekers who do not have alternative shelter options. This program helps address the shortage of housing facilities for individuals awaiting their refugee claim decisions.
3. Irregular Border Crossers:
Irregular border crossers are individuals who enter a country illegally, bypassing official entry points, and then apply for asylum or refugee status. In Canada, irregular border crossers are those who cross the border between official ports of entry and submit asylum claims while facing significant processing backlogs.
4. Safe Third Country Agreement:
The Safe Third Country Agreement is a pact between countries that stipulates an agreement under which a refugee must seek protection in the first safe country they enter, preventing them from applying for asylum in another country. In the context of the Canadian immigration system, this agreement impacts the processing of asylum claims, particularly for individuals crossing the border irregularly.
5. Refugee Approval Ratio:
Refugee approval ratio refers to the proportion of asylum claims approved compared to those rejected by the immigration authorities. In the case of irregular border crossers in Canada, the ratio reveals the balance between successful refugee claims and those deemed ineligible, aiding in understanding the outcomes of the asylum application process for this specific group of applicants.
By defining these specialized terms, readers can better comprehend the nuances of immigration discussions, policies, and processes related to asylum seekers and irregular border crossings in Canada.
This Article In A Nutshell:
Canada provides $224 daily to cover accommodation, meals, and essentials for some illegal border crossers waiting on refugee claims. Concerns have been raised about allocation discrepancies and impact on resources. The Interim Housing Assistance Program supports claimants lacking shelter options. Understanding the facts is vital for informed discussions on immigration policies.
— By VisaVerge.com
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