More and more asylum seekers are coming to Canada. Is it enough to stem a global tide of refugees?
Asylum claims in Canada have been on the rise as global displacement crisis worsens
Canada processed almost 60,000 applications from asylum seekers looking to take refuge here so far this year — the highest count in almost a decade.
While the increase can be explained by multiple factors, including a backlog of asylum applications, experts say it's underscored by one main theme: as the number of global conflicts and crises rise, so will the number of people seeking asylum — not just in Canada, but anywhere they can find it.
"We've seen an increasing amount of asylum seekers arriving to Canada, and it's not a surprise when we're seeing an increasing amount of people worldwide and globally asking for asylum and for protection," said Azadeh Tamjeedi, a senior legal officer for United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) Canada in Ottawa.
"We're seeing a multiplication of conflicts worldwide, we're seeing an inability to solve the root causes of displacements and address those conflicts, so it's leading to an increased number of people that have to move to find safety."
While the numbers show a stark increase compared to previous years, Tamjeedi says it's just a drop in the bucket compared to the total number of people seeking safety, with Canada receiving only two per cent of asylum claims globally.
In contrast, according to the UNHCR, 108.4 million people worldwide were forcibly displaced by the end of 2022, with almost a third of them considered refugees.
"Although the numbers of asylum seekers have risen this year and are higher than at any point in the last few years, it's a tiny trickle in regard to the numbers of refugees around the world," said Sharry Aiken, the board chair of a Toronto refugee settlement agency, FCJ Refugee Centre.
Where are people fleeing from, and why?
Aiken, who's also an associate professor teaching law at Queen's University in Kingston, Ont., says people are fleeing from various catastrophes ranging from political conflict and violence, to natural disasters exacerbated by climate change, pointing to devastating flooding in Pakistan and violent conflicts in Sudan.
Similarly, asylum seekers who have come to Canada since 2018 are from a range of countries dealing with similar problems, including the Americas, the Middle East and African countries.
"We're not seeing the brunt of that as much as other regions because the places where these things are happening are quite far removed from Canada," said Aiken.
While Canada remains a destination for many asylum seekers due to its support for refugees after resettlement, it's not easily accessed by them through either land, water or air travel said Gauri Sreenivasan, the co-executive director of policy and advocacy for the Canadian Council for Refugees, a group that advocates for refugee and immigrant rights in Canada.
That's why it's important to note that these numbers only reflect those who are successful in putting forth asylum claims through visa permits or UN channels, and not those who face barriers getting to the country, said Sreenivasan.
"There are many who are frustrated and who will not even be allowed to make a claim," she said.
Does this mean Canada is accepting more refugees?
While Sreenivasan said the increase is mostly due to a rise in global conflicts, she said it can be partly attributed to a return to normal operations after pandemic border closures and travel restrictions stalled the application process.
"People who have been in situations of danger but actually unable to move across borders and travel at all are now asking and seeking protection."
According to Sreenivasan, the length of time to become a refugee after claiming asylum can range from months to years, depending on the backlog and processing capacity of Canada's independent tribunal — the Immigration and Refugee Board. As of June, it has 103,987 refugee claims pending.
Still, most claimants in Canada — about 78 per cent — successfully become refugees, said Tamjeedi.
But advocates say an increase in refugees is not something to be feared. Patrick Taran, the president of Global Migration Policy Associates, an international research, policy development and advocacy group, says such an increase could be useful to Canada, given its need for workers and plan to accept 500,000 new permanent residents by 2025.
"Immigrants are easily blamed for just about everything," said Taran.
"But the fact is, as I think Canada's general policy seems to recognize, they're far more a part of the solution to the problems we're facing … than they are problems in themselves."
What more should Canada do to help displaced people?
Some experts say Canada's stance on granting asylum seems to be growing more regressive, pointing to the government's deal with the United States to turn away asylum seekers at unofficial border crossings like Quebec's Roxham Road, as well as the government's decreasing refugee resettlement targets, which are set to go from 23,550 in 2023 to 15,250 in 2025.
"It's not as though Canada has flung open its doors to asylum seekers," said Aiken, with Toronto's FCJ Refugee Centre.
Most recently in Toronto, asylum seekers turned away by local shelters had no choice but to sleep on city streets due to a lack of supports. While Canada has a thorough system in place that official refugees can access while they integrate with society, Sreenivasan said there's only a "fractured" network of supports claimants can access while waiting for eligibility hearings.
"We need to think about ensuring that those who are fleeing persecution and danger have the support they need to have their claim heard and to integrate into Canadian society," said Sreenivasan.
Beyond opening its own doors to refugees and asylum seekers, Canada can also consider extending more financial support to countries that take in the majority of the world's refugees, said Tamjeedi of UNHCR.
According to the UNHCR, 76 per cent of the world's refugees and others in need of international protection are housed by low- and middle-income countries, particularly countries that neighbour those where the refugees are from.
"It's an urgent need, given the amount of displacement we're seeing globally," said Tamjeedi.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
