There are 28,145 active warrants out for failed refugee claimants in Canada, new figures from the Canada Border Services Agency reveal.
In response to an order paper commission submitted by Conservative MP Brad Redekopp, the border service shed light on the volume of failed asylum seekers still in the country.
“A CBSA officer may issue a warrant for the arrest and detention of a foreign national if the officer has reasonable grounds to believe the individual is inadmissible under the IRPA and either poses a danger to the public or is unlikely to appear for an immigration process, such as a removal from Canada,” wrote the CBSA in its response.
The CBSA said there are 8,839 asylum claimants pending an eligibility decision as well as 18,684 whose claims have been denied and have an “enforceable removal order.”
Of the failed refugee claimants, 73 are currently detained. Another 12,882 are enrolled in an alternative to detention program, the majority of whom are failed refugee claimants. The Agency said that the figures are not exact because the answers were compiled in a quick time frame.
Of the inadmissible refugees, 410 are inadmissible for being convicted in Canada of a criminal offence. There are 236 deemed inadmissible because they were convicted in their country of origin with an offence also illegal in Canada.
The border agency was unable to respond to a question asking how many failed asylum claimants are “set to be deported in 2024.”
“Due to the level of complexity surrounding removal scheduling, removals are often only scheduled shortly prior to departure, and therefore, the CBSA is not able to provide a number in response to this question,” the agency said in its reply.
Of the 646 individuals who are inadmissible for violating the Criminal Code or equivalent, just 13 are currently being detained.
The CBSA said that currently inadmissible individuals for past actions may not pose a public safety risk today.
“Individuals are detained if they are identified as current public safety risks and subject to an immigration process such as removal, regardless of the grounds for inadmissibility,” wrote the Agency.
The border agency previously disclosed that most people who have been sent deportation notices over a span of eight years remain in Canada.
Of the total 646 inadmissible individuals, 253 have the status of being “wanted.”
True North reached out to the CBSA for comment, but did not receive a response by deadline.
