According to IRCC data obtained by The PIE, international students filed over 13,600 asylum claims in Canada between January 1 and September 30, 2024.
While a majority of these applications were filed by international students on study permits, nearly 1500 students were on a study permit extension in the country.
Comparatively, nearly 12,000 asylum claims were made by international students in 2023 – a massive spike from a mere 1,810 claims in 2018, as per a report by the Globe and Mail.
“Around the world, the growing number of conflicts and crises has led to an increase in asylum claims globally, and Canada is not immune to these trends,” an IRCC spokesperson told The PIE.
“Under the law, anyone seeking asylum in Canada is entitled to have the eligibility of their claim assessed. However, there is no guarantee that a claimant will be granted protection and allowed to stay in Canada.”
The data suggests that the countries with the highest number of claims filed by students on permits and extensions this year are India, Nigeria, Ghana, Guinea, and the Democratic Republic of Congo.
Highlighting concerns over the growing number of international students applying for asylum in Canada, the immigration minister Marc Miller wrote a letter to The College of Immigration and Citizenship Consultants.
CICC, which is a regulatory authority in Canada, oversees the regulation of immigration and citizenship consultants, and international student advisors.
Though Miller praised CICC for shutting down 3,000 websites operated by unauthorised practitioners, he raised apprehensions about students being counselled by third parties to provide false information in their asylum applications.
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
Marc Miller, Canadian immigration minister
“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,” read the letter by Miler, addressed to John Murray, president and CEO, CICC.
Miller attributed the increase in asylum applications partly to fraudulent claims reportedly promoted by unethical immigration consultants.
Drawing on anecdotal evidence from departmental officials, he stated that conditions in the source countries remain largely unchanged, indicating that external guidance may be a significant factor.
“As you know, if licensed 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,” read the letter.
According to Miller, some students have been advised to file their asylum claims soon after their arrival in Canada, often within the first year.
“We often see these claims filed within the first year, sometimes for less valid reasons, such as lowering tuition fees to domestic rates. There’s opportunism at play, and it’s being exploited.”
Furthermore, Miller called on the CICC to investigate licensed consultants who may be improperly advising international students to file asylum claims.
As per the Globe and Mail report, Canadian institutions with the highest number of asylum seekers this year are also the ones with the biggest international student cohorts in the country.
Six of the top 10 colleges are from Ontario, with Conestoga College (520), Seneca College (490), and Niagara College (410) recording the most number of asylum seekers in 2024.
While some university representatives expressed surprise at the number of asylum seekers coming from their schools, others denied having any knowledge regarding the same.
An increase in asylum applications can lead to Canadian immigration authorities having to navigate through a wide range of implications, according to Daljit Nirman, CEO and founder, Nirman’s Law.
“Processing times may lengthen due to the increased workload on immigration authorities, resulting in delays in decision-making for applicants,” said Nirman, who is a lawyer and law professor, based in Ottawa.
Nirman suggested that students who would like to apply for asylum can follow specific pathways, including ‘making a refugee protection claim either at a port of entry upon arrival in Canada or at an inland office if they are already within the country.’
“These claims are assessed under the Refugee Protection Division (RPD) of the Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada (IRB). For those already residing in Canada, inland refugee claims are processed based on the individual’s fear of persecution or risk if they were to return to their home country,” said Nirman.
However, the lawyer cautioned students against believing that claiming asylum is an easier pathway to stay and settle in Canada.
“While it may provide temporary relief, obtaining permanent residency through asylum is challenging and involves rigorous legal processes. False or unsupported claims can lead to serious repercussions, including legal actions and potential removal from the country.”
The rise in asylum seekers comes at a time when Canada is expected to see a nearly 50% drop in study permits this year owing to a range of policy changes aimed at curbing the number of temporary residents in the country.
In September 2024, the Canadian government reduced the international study permit target by 10% from the 2024 target of 485,000.
The recent changes have also led to over 10,000 international student acceptance letters from Canadian institutions to be flagged as potentially fraudulent.
Bronwyn May, director-general of the International Students Branch at the Immigration Department, informed MPs last week that IRCC has intercepted more than 10,000 potentially fraudulent acceptance letters through its verification process over the past year.
The tighter checks came into effect after an Indian immigration consultant duped thousands of students from the north Indian state of Punjab with fake acceptance letters, leading to many of them facing deportation hearings in Canada.
