Just a fraction of border crossers removed

OTTAWA — Government data shows thousands of asylum seekers came into Canada illegally across the Canada-U.S. border in the first quarter of the year, but only a fraction were removed from the country during that time.

Between Jan. 1 and March 31, 135 individuals who made an asylum claim after an irregular entry were removed from the country, says information provided to the Commons committee on immigration.

During that same period, more than 5,000 asylum seekers arrived via unofficial entry points.

The government says border officials can only remove failed refugee claimants after they have exhausted all legal options available to try for refugee status.

“Everyone ordered removed from Canada is entitled to due process before the law,” said Scott Bardsley, press secretary for Public Safety Minister

Ralph Goodale.

But while the Canada

Border Services Agency makes every effort to remove as many ineligible asylum claimants as

possible, the vast majority of irregular border crossers are not “removal ready,” Bardsley added.

Opposition immigration critic Michelle Rempel says she believes government should step up claims processing and removals so that irregular migrants do not wait for years as their asylum claims are processed.