(CNN)Waves of asylum seekers continue to cross into Canada from the United States, drawing concerns that the numbers will only rise as the weather gets warmer.

Over the last year, Canada has seen what has been called an "unprecedented" surge of asylum seekers, with more than 25,000 people intercepted by the Royal Canadian Mounted Police as they crossed from the US since January 2017 to March 2018.

And this year, the rate appears to be growing.

The number of people intercepted in the first three months of 2018 more than doubled those in the same time period last year. And in 2017, the number of people intercepted at the border escalated in the summer.


Source : https://amp.cnn.com/cnn/2018/05/09/americas/canada-asylum-seekers-nigerians/index.html?__twitter_impression=true

*Nigerian asylum seekers arrive to Canada

Many of the asylum seekers take buses or taxis to a US border town, and walk over to the other side of the border, where they are intercepted by Canadian officials. Asylum seekers have pointed to their growing unease about the Trump administration's attitudes toward immigrants for leaving the US.

But in recent months, the cohort of who has been crossing into Canada has changed.

Many of those crossing now are Nigerian asylum seekers, who legally come to the US on a visa, stay briefly in the US and then cross the border into Canada, officials say.

"There is a small number that is abusing the US visa system. They don't have a desire to visit the United States. Their intention is to come to Canada and claim asylum," Canada's Immigration Minister Ahmed Hussen said in an interview with CNN partner CBC.

In an effort to stem those growing numbers, three Canadian officials have been stationed to work with US visa officials in Lagos, Nigeria, to prevent the abuse of US travel documents. And Hussen is scheduled to travel to Nigeria this month to meet with its officials there.

"Coming across the border in a way that seeks to circumvent our procedures is no free ticket to Canada," said Ralph Goodale, Minister of Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness, in a statement.

"We will continue to work with the United States to deter the misuse of travel documents that has helped drive the influx."

This is heartbreaking.
I wish una well.

*Last year, Haitians were coming to Canada

Last year, many of those coming into Canada were Haitians, who were concerned that they would lose their Temporary Protected Status or TPS, in the US, which allowed them to work and shielded them from deportation. In November, the Trump Administration announced that it would end TPS for Haitians by July 2019
In response to the arrival of Haitians, the Canadian government organized outreach in places like Miami and New York with large Haitian communities to counter social media rumors that asylum seekers would get a free pass in Canada. They translated government messages in Creole.

"I believe because of our outreach efforts into the Haitian population in the United States, this year you don't see that number," said Hussen told the CBC.

"We had one solution that worked for one population. Now we're faced with a different group of nationals," he said, regarding the Nigerians.

In response, Canadian officials are working closely with their US counterparts to make sure they're aware of the people who are abusing their visa systems, Hussen said. He said it has resulted in a 10% increase in visa refusals by the US, in recent weeks.

Most of the illegal border crossings are occurring in Quebec.

Half of Canada's 49,775 asylum claims in 2017 were made in that province. The top five birth countries of asylum seekers in Quebec are Haiti, Nigeria, the United States, India and Saudi Arabia.





*Pact between US and Canada

Hussen said the government is open to possible changes to its border pact with the US, but no "formal negotiations" are happening at this stage, reported the CBC.

The pact known as the Safe Third Country Agreement between Canada and the United States requires people to apply for refugee protection in the first safe country they arrive in -- under which, the US is considered a safe country.

Because of this, people who seek refugee status in Canada from the US will be turned away at official border crossings. As a result, people are skipping official ports of entry and crossing over unofficially -- sometimes going through treacherous journeys to do so. Protected Status or TPS, in the US, which allowed them to work and shielded them from deportation. In November, the Trump Administration announced that it would end TPS for Haitians by July 2019
In response to the arrival of Haitians, the Canadian government organized outreach in places like Miami and New York with large Haitian communities to counter social media rumors that asylum seekers would get a free pass in Canada. They translated government messages in Creole.

"I believe because of our outreach efforts into the Haitian population in the United States, this year you don't see that number," said Hussen told the CBC.

"We had one solution that worked for one population. Now we're faced with a different group of nationals," he said, regarding the Nigerians.

In response, Canadian officials are working closely with their US counterparts to make sure they're aware of the people who are abusing their visa systems, Hussen said. He said it has resulted in a 10% increase in visa refusals by the US, in recent weeks.

Most of the illegal border crossings are occurring in Quebec.

Half of Canada's 49,775 asylum claims in 2017 were made in that province. The top five birth countries of asylum seekers in Quebec are Haiti, Nigeria, the United States, India and Saudi Arabia.



*Pact between US and Canada

Hussen said the government is open to possible changes to its border pact with the US, but no "formal negotiations" are happening at this stage, reported the CBC.

The pact known as the Safe Third Country Agreement between Canada and the United States requires people to apply for refugee protection in the first safe country they arrive in -- under which, the US is considered a safe country.

Because of this, people who seek refugee status in Canada from the US will be turned away at official border crossings. As a result, people are skipping official ports of entry and crossing over unofficially -- sometimes going through treacherous journeys to do so.

that one even labelled them boko haram!

chai we yaf suffered!



and some of them are part of us that was shouting sai baba and febuhari back in the days! shame wan kill me!















anybody that votes dullhari in 2019 is an enemy of state!

this is humiliating for bleep sake.

Well I no blame those Yankee fools commenting on that CNN twitter page.

Meanwhile, no be only Nigerians guilty of this. Some other countries self dey cross too.

Good luck to y'all. Some 20 years or so ago, Nigerian living in Uk without papers were running to neighbouring Ireland because Ireland were giving people papers then either through asylum or just find one woman give belle and that's it your papers assured. Some mumu stay put in UK without papers, fast forward few years, those that cross into Ireland now have Irish passport while those that stay put in Uk are still fighting Home office for visa. This is a similar scenario, while live illegally in the USA when you can cross into Canada and start a new life. Canadian asylum is easier and relax, while on asylum for years in Canada you are allowed to work, to some extent you get free education and place to live. If your asylum is successful you've hit it for life if not you can still try the marriage route. Good luck to you all my brothers and sisters.

Men must survive

Serves us right.. We get what we deserve. Let everyone run away from Nigeria. Maybe there will be peace afterall..

It's so normal ... Nigerians are fond of running from one country to another.
As long as the pay grade is higher by 0.5 cent

It is not only Nigerians.


Many immigrants are moving from USA to cannada both legal and illegally.

I wonder why these foreign useless media houses always want to make news like this a nigerian thing.

someone rightly said... Africans are the most vulnerable people on earth, too dependent, helpless, always running away, don't know how to defend themselves. take it or leave it, it's just the fact.

I thank God for my life...ALWAYS!

When you tell them to stay at home, them go be like..'we nor wan them to come'..now make una see the kain suffer wey dey for the other side...its not easy everywhere guys..If you dont have any money or contact, that is someone the will accomodate you and put you through pls use that visa and flight ticket openn up a business in Nigeria

Chaiii......see wetin buhari don cause!!!

lol.
Someone asked if Trudeau is no longer woke.

We must still enter this year

Oh! our brothers....

Me I no understand o! is it only Nigerians seeking asylum in Canada? why focus on Nigerians eh CNN? is it because our president is not charismatic? eh? I no blame una. If no be say our leaders they fail us left right and center, no be whitey for dey come do vacation for Nigeria? No be whitey for dey do visa lottery to travel go obodo naija?

#shior!

yes oooo by fire by ........

bedspread:
We must still enter this year

Na by force to travel abroad??why our yansh no dey stay one place like this even countries that have conditions worse than ours dont roam around like Nigerians. They will goan use their own to disturb the Nigerians who are in Canada legally.Which mumu asylum are they seeking even Syrians no do reach us in terms of waka waka.

This is what our past government caused into the lives of her citizens.

16 good years wasted, no light, no good road, no enabling environment to attract investors, no employment but corruption of all kinds.

And those same set of people who ruined the country are now parading themselves to be savior.

This is sad, this is really, really sad. It's a big shame on Nigeria and a slap on the government's face.

Even more curiously, this lame government never mentions the issues of hordes of immigrants dying on the high sea or even this new monumental opprobrium on Nigeria. We don't have a government.

They have no shame! But one day, the black race shall gain pride in the world. One day!