Canada is prioritizing the deportation of asylum seekers who walked across the border from the United States illegally, federal agency statistics show.
According to Reuters, the number of people deported after their refugee applications were rejected was on track to drop 25% so far this year compared to 2017 to its lowest point in a decade, even as the number of deported border-crossers was on track to triple, according to Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) data.
More than 36,000 people have walked into Canada from the U.S to file refugee claims since January 2017, many saying they feared U.S. President Donald Trump’s election promise and policy to crack down on illegal immigration.
The CBSA, which is responsible for deportations, said in an email to Reuters that it classifies border-crossers with criminals as a top deportation priority.
Six lawyers told Reuters they were aware of this acceleration of certain cases, some saying they have had border-crosser hearings scheduled in blocs, with a focus on those from Haiti and Nigeria.
