The number of individuals seeking asylum in Canada since U.S. President Donald Trump took office has fallen, according to government data.
The RCMP previously warned of the possibility of an influx of refugees from the United States following Trump’s election win in November 2024, saying it was preparing to put extra resources at borders.
The RCMP intercepted 544 asylum seekers during the first four months of this year, compared to 603 during the same period last year, the data show. These numbers refer to asylum seekers apprehended between the ports of entry and don’t reflect other border crossings. The numbers may be included in either CBSA or IRCC processing results, as the RCMP turns over asylum seekers to these agencies if a claim of refugee status is made..
CBSA confirmed to The Epoch Times that it has processed 19,730 asylum applications as of July 13. That is 50 percent less than the 39,085 processed by the same date in 2024. The number includes all applications, including those that were rejected.
Canadians had been warned that following Trump’s election, there could be an influx at the border, with RCMP Sergeant Charles Poirier telling Reuters that Canadian police had been preparing for months prior to the U.S. election in November 2024.
“We knew a few months ago that we had to start prepping a contingency plan, because if he comes into power, which now he will in a few months, it could drive illegal migration and irregular migration into [the province of] Quebec and into Canada,” he said at the time.
Poirier also said that police were on “high alert” and were making plans to put additional resources at the Canadian border.
Then-Immigration Minister Marc Miller also said the government had a plan to handle an influx of asylum seekers.
His office said that the department would prepare and anticipate all possible scenarios.
Anyone looking to claim refugee status in Canada first needs to enter with a visitor, student, or worker visa, as there are no visas offered for those seeking asylum.
An IRCC spokesperson said the department had started scrutinizing visa applications from countries that had the “highest rates of abuse” in an effort to ensure visas that are issued are used for the proper purpose. The move “protects the asylum process,” spokesperson Renee LeBlanc told Reuters in February.
Among the 12,185 asylum claimants processed by the CBSA in the first four months of 2025, Quebec saw the highest number, with 7,930 in total. Ontario saw 3,505, followed by B.C. at 455.
In Alberta, there were 185 asylum seekers, followed by Manitoba at 60, and New Brunswick at 30, Saskatchewan at 10, and Nova Scotia at five.
