Only 10 per cent of Haitians crossing illegally getting refugee status, so far

OTTAWA The majority of asylum seekers who have crossed illegally into Canada so far this year were Haitian and so far, only 10 per cent of their claims have been accepted, newly released data showed Wednesday.

Since February, the Immigration and Refugee Board has received 14,467 claims in total from what they call irregular border crossers, and the overall acceptance rate sits at 60 per cent.

The fact that the number of successful Haitian claims is “very low” should serve as a cautionary tale for those still contemplating crossing into Canada illegally from the U.S. to seek asylum, said Immigration Minister Ahmed Hussen.

“Coming to Canada first of all has to be done through regular channels, and secondly the asylum system is only for people who are in genuine need of protection,” Hussen said. “It’s not for everyone.” People have been crossing into Canada between official checkpoints in increasing numbers since the start of the year, but the summer months saw a major surge after the U.S. government notified those who hold temporary protected status in that country that their status would be under review.

Just under 60,000 Haitians are covered by the policy that protects against deportation. In the weeks after the Trump administration’s initial announcement, some began making the trek north to Canada to try and seek asylum here, propelled in part by misinformation online suggesting Canada has special programs for those affected by the policy.