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Canada expresses concern over 5 times increase in asylum seekers
Canadian Minister of Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship, Marc Miller, has expressed his concern over the growing number of international students claiming asylum in the country.
Student stock image / pexels
A sudden spurt in the number of international students seeking asylum has made the authorities sit up while initiating steps to control the trend. Immigration consultants are the first ones to get noticed as the number of international student asylum seekers has swelled more than five times in recent years.
Canadian Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship, Marc Miller has expressed his concern over the trend in the country. In a letter to the President and Chief Executive Officer of College of Immigration and Citizenship. Consultants, Miller wrote he was concerned by reports that some of these students were being counselled to apply for asylum by third parties and provide false information.
His concerns are supported by the numbers as they have jumped five times in recent times. In 2023, nearly 17,000 international students applied for political asylum against 2500 a couple of years ago. The increased number has been putting additional pressure on the immigration officials. This has also increased the waiting time for genuine asylum seekers.
International students from South Asia, including India, figure prominently in the list of asylum seekers. Most applicants face uncertain futures because of recent changes in the immigration policies of the Canadian government.
The asylum seekers claim that they would be persecuted if they returned home. Though there are armed conflicts in some parts of the world, a substantial number of them are from countries that are practising democracies.
“Canada is dedicated to aiding individuals in need of protection. However, counselling asylum seekers to misrepresent themselves to remain in Canada or seek permanent residence would be contrary to the objectives of Canada’s immigration system. As you know, if licenced immigration consultants are participants, their involvement could constitute a violation of Section 12 of the Code of Professional Conduct for College of Immigration and Citizenship Consultants Licensees, which states that a “licensee must not, in any of their professional dealings, knowingly assist in or encourage dishonesty, fraud or illegal conduct,” Miller said in his letter.
He wanted a probe into the role of immigration consultants. “Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) is deeply committed to protecting the integrity of Canada’s immigration system and the public interest. The College is an important partner in helping to maintain the integrity of Canada’s immigration system and to protect the public. As such, I request that the College look into the possibility that the licenced immigration consultants are illegitimately advising students to claim asylum. Furthermore, I would ask that the College partner with IRCC on this important matter and communicate with all its licensees to remind them counselling misrepresentation in the context of asylum claim would constitute a violation of Section 12 of the Code of Professional Conduct for College of Immigration and Citizenship Consultants License.”
Marc Miller also congratulated the College on its recent initiatives and accomplishments contributing to the protection of the public interest, regarding unauthorised immigration practitioners and increasing public awareness of the College’s public register of licensees. By working with the internet providers, the College had shut down over 3,000 web sites operated by unauthorised practitioners.
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