Canada is already struggling to deal with the strain of these new migrants illegally crossing its border. According to Citizenship and Immigration Canada (CIC) statistics, between the months of January and April 2018, the Royal Canadian Mounted Police registered a total of 7,612 interceptions. Most of the interceptions were in Quebec, the other two provinces with the most interceptions were British Columbia and Manitoba. This number of interceptions may look small when compared to last year’s statistics, but one must remember only the cold winter months have been counted so far. It is likely that the termination of multiple TPS programs, as well as the uncertainty surrounding DACA, and the pressure on unlawful immigrants in general, including those who see Canada as an "appeal court" to their failed U.S. immigration claims, will push more and more U.S. illegal migrants northward, especially as the warming weather arrives.
"Irregular Migrants" Are The Problem
The Canadian government refers to these illegal migrants as “irregular migrants” - the implication being that this migration is in some way understandable, or perhaps partially justified. But at the same time that these migrants are illegally entering Canada, their influx is delaying and derailing thousands of people who have followed the legal process for applying as investors, entrepreneurs, skilled workers as well as refugees at Canadian consulates overseas. Instead of processing these legal cases, Canadian officials are scrambling to deal with the thousands of illegal migrants walking across the border from the U.S. and claiming refugee status.
How Bad Is It?
The Canadian Border Service Agency (CBSA) estimates there are currently about 15,000 foreign nationals facing deportation in Canada. The average escorted removal cost is $15,000. Put another way, every time an illegal migrant crosses the Canadian border, the minimum starting cost if they are to be removed is $ 15,000. Since they come to Canada illegally from the United States, it is unlikely they will pay for their own removal to their home country. That means Canada has a potential $ 225 million removal problem and it is growing day by day. That is just the cost of removals and does not include the costs of their stay in Canada. A bigger problem is that even if Canadian law requires their removal, international law may prevent Canada from deporting them. Scott Bardsley, the spokesperson for the Minister of Public Safety, recently related that some countries are “refusing to provide travel documents to their citizens,” or even more belligerantly, “outright refusing to take them back.” In fact, the situation is so dysfunctional, that since 2017 only one percent of illegal aliens in the country have been removed from Canada.