Over a Third of Refugee Claims Came From Mexicans at Montreal, Calgary Airports in Last Five Years

Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Minister Marc Miller waits to appear before the Standing Committee on Citizenship and Immigration, in Ottawa, on Feb. 28, 2024. (The Canadian Press/Adrian Wyld)

Mexican travellers accounted for a third or more of refugee claims made at airports in Montreal and Calgary over the last five years, new data from Canada’s Immigration Department shows. The release of the figures followed cabinet’s announcement a few weeks earlier to renew visa requirements for Mexican visitors.

From 2019 to 2023, Mexicans represented 46 percent of refugee claims made at the Montréal-Pierre Elliott Trudeau International Airport and 31 percent of such claims at the Calgary International Airport, according to records tabled in the House of Commons on March 18.

The percentages were calculated based on a total 49,799 claimants in Montreal, of which 23,058 were Mexicans, and a total 1,806 claimants in Calgary, 555 of which were Mexicans, reported Blacklock’s Reporter, which obtained the figures.

The figures were disclosed in response to a Jan. 29 inquiry submitted by Tory MP Larry Maguire, who asked for the number of refugee claims made at points of entries at Canadian airports for each of the last five years—broken down by airport, “country of persecution,” and country of citizenship. He also wanted to know how many were granted, were denied, or are still awaiting a decision.

The proportions were lower at the Toronto Pearson International Airport, with about 13 percent of total claimants from Mexico (4,741 out of 37,207 claimants), and the Vancouver International Airport, with about 12 percent (838 out of 7,284 claimants).

‘Breaking Point’

Immigration Minister Marc Miller had already in February acknowledged a significant spike in asylum claims from Mexico. On Feb. 29 he announced the feds would restore the requirement for Mexican nationals travelling to Canada by air to have a visitor visa unless they meet criteria that make them visa-exempt and qualified to apply for an electronic travel authorization (eTA) instead.

The measure followed months of discussions between the two countries.

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“We needed to give Mexico, because of our friendship, the chance to rectify things,” Mr. Miller said at a Feb. 29 press conference. “This clearly was not done, so we had to take a decision.”

Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) data shows a dramatic increase in asylum claims from Mexico after the Trudeau Liberals lifted the visa requirement for Mexican visitors in 2016.

“Asylum claims made by Mexican citizens reached a record high in 2023 at a time when Canada’s asylum system, housing and social services were already under significant pressure,” a Feb. 29 IRCC news release said, noting that the majority (around 60 percent) were either rejected or were withdrawn or abandoned by the applicant.

In 2023 alone, asylum claims from Mexican citizens accounted for 17 percent of all claims made that year, added the news release, stating, “The country’s asylum claim rate has risen significantly since the visa was first lifted in 2016 (from 260 claims in 2016 to 23,995 claims in 2023).”

The government’s announcement came amid concerns raised by Quebec Premier François Legault regarding the influx of asylum seekers into his province. Mr. Legault wrote to Prime Minister Justin Trudeau in January saying the situation was nearing a “breaking point.”

“Do you regret not doing it earlier,” a reporter asked Mr. Miller at the Feb. 29 press conference.

“We have been examining these measures for months,” the minister replied.

IRCC wrote in a regulatory impact analysis statement on Feb. 26 that reinstating visas for air passengers from Mexico will save Canadian taxpayers around $660 million a year over the next 10 years.

“[R]educed asylum claims cost savings, as well as a reduction of primary inspection line activities at Canadian ports of entry and inland enforcement savings,” accounted for the figure, IRCC said.

The statement also noted that visas are an effective tool in managing migration, since “applicants must provide documentation demonstrating identity, purpose of travel, as well as proof that they will abide by the conditions of temporary residence in Canada.”

‘Integrity of the System’

The previous Conservative cabinet introduced the visa requirement in 2009 when asylum claims reached 9,511 that year, less than half the 2023 number.

While announcing the lifting of visa rules for Mexican visitors in 2016, Mr. Trudeau said it will benefit both countries.

“This move will make it easier for our Mexican friends to visit Canada, while growing our local economies and strengthening our communities,” he said at a press conference at the time.

When asked by reporters on Feb. 29 this year if the reinstatement was a “complete reversal” of the Liberal government’s immigration policy, Mr. Miller replied “not at all.”

“Since the beginning of 2015, the impression has been that the Liberal government has just flung the doors wide open. That’s not true. We’ve always supported the integrity of the system.”

Matthew Horwood and The Canadian Press contributed to this report.