Close X
Wednesday, November 27, 2024
ADVT 
National

Latest Stats Show Illegal Border Crossings Continued To Decline In November

Darpan News Desk The Canadian Press, 19 Dec, 2017 12:00 AM
    OTTAWA — A decision by the Trump administration to yank protected status for thousands of Haitians doesn't appear to have prompted a new surge of asylum seekers at the Canada-U.S. border.
     
    Data published Tuesday by the federal government show the RCMP stopped 1,623 people in November, down from 1,890 in October.
     
    The figures represent a marked drop from August, when the RCMP stopped over 5,000 people in Quebec alone as they crossed into Canada to seek asylum.
     
    Many were believed to be propelled north by an impending change to U.S. immigration policy that would see the resumption of deportations to Haiti, following a pause instituted after the 2010 earthquake.
     
    The U.S. formally announced in November that temporary protected status for Haitians would be lifted in 2019, but Canadian officials had expressed hope a new surge of asylum seekers wouldn't materialize.
     
     
    Since the summer spike, Canadian officials embarked on a massive outreach effort in the U.S. to dispel myths about the Canadian asylum system and said those efforts were bearing fruit.
     
    But they've also said they remain on guard against the potential for future waves of would-be refugees and are ready to spool up a response in short order should one materialize.
     
    The data released Tuesday suggest that, overall, asylum claims filed in Canada dropped slightly last month.
     
    Canada Border Services Agency and the Immigration Department reported processing just over 4,000 requests, down from 4,760 in October.
     
    In total, the two agencies have now processed over 45,000 asylum claims this year — more than double the number of claims they dealt with last year.
     
    Once those claims are processed, they're referred to the Immigration and Refugee Board for a hearing.
     
    The board is grappling with a volume of cases not seen in nearly 10 years and has implemented several measures designed to speed up the process and avoid growing backlogs.
     
     
    But many of those decisions were taken by chairperson Mario Dion, who is now the Liberal government's choice to replace outgoing ethics commissioner Mary Dawson, leaving his position at the IRB vacant.
     
    An interim chairperson is expected to be named in the new year.

    MORE National ARTICLES

    CREA Cuts 2017, 2018 Forecast Due To Incoming Tighter Mortgage Rules

    CREA Cuts 2017, 2018 Forecast Due To Incoming Tighter Mortgage Rules
    The association now forecasts a 5.3 per cent drop in national sales to 486,600 units next year. That new estimate shaves about 8,500 sales from its previous 2018 forecast.

    CREA Cuts 2017, 2018 Forecast Due To Incoming Tighter Mortgage Rules

    Hillary Clinton Says Dem's Surprise Win In Alabama A 'Turning Point' Against Trump

    Hillary Clinton Says Dem's Surprise Win In Alabama A 'Turning Point' Against Trump
    Hillary Clinton says the Democratic party's surprise win in Alabama during Tuesday's senate race in the United States marks a "turning point" for Americans who are opposed to President Donald Trump.

    Hillary Clinton Says Dem's Surprise Win In Alabama A 'Turning Point' Against Trump

    Toy Makers Turn To Youtube Influencers To Advertise Ahead Of Holidays

    Toy Makers Turn To Youtube Influencers To Advertise Ahead Of Holidays
    Like many kids, Ryan spends his time playing with toys. But, unlike most of his peers, millions of people watch the six-year-old boy open and test toys — a performance that has earned him millions of dollars.

    Toy Makers Turn To Youtube Influencers To Advertise Ahead Of Holidays

    B.C. Man Found Guilty Of Polygamy Believed He Couldn't Be Prosecuted: Lawyer

    CRANBROOK, B.C. — The lawyer for a British Columbia man found guilty of marrying two dozen women says his client believed he could not be prosecuted for polygamy.

    B.C. Man Found Guilty Of Polygamy Believed He Couldn't Be Prosecuted: Lawyer

    Young Indo-Canadian Boxer Eric Basran, 19, Named To 2018 Commonwealth Games

    Young Indo-Canadian Boxer Eric Basran, 19, Named To 2018 Commonwealth Games
    19-year-old Surrey boy Eric Basran has been chosen as one of seven boxers chosen to represent Canada at the upcoming 2018 Commonwealth Games in Australia.

    Young Indo-Canadian Boxer Eric Basran, 19, Named To 2018 Commonwealth Games

    B.C. Adoption Rates 'Disappointing,' Declining This Year, Says Children's Rep

    B.C. Adoption Rates 'Disappointing,' Declining This Year, Says Children's Rep
    VICTORIA — British Columbia's child and youth representative says a government plan to increase adoption rates for young people in care is faltering.

    B.C. Adoption Rates 'Disappointing,' Declining This Year, Says Children's Rep