BACKLOG OF ASYLUM CLAIMS BALLOONS TO MORE THAN 28,000

The backlog of asylum claims from irregular migrants awaiting a decision on whether they can stay in Canada has grown to more than 28,000. New statistics from the Immigration and Refugee Board show over 5,000 new refugee claims were filed between July and September of this year. This was just over 1,100 fewer claims than the previous quarter. But despite a recent boost in resources and staffing from government, the board finalized only about 1,600 claims in the same period, so the backlog got longer. The Liberals promised $74 million over two years in the 2018 budget to address the major backlog of refugee claims, many of which are coming from “irregular” migrants crossing the Canada-U.S. border away from official crossings. Refugee claims from other groups have also been on the rise.