Canada ramping up deportations of asylum seekers, government data shows
As an influx of asylum seekers crossing from the United States strains Canada‘s immigration system, the country is ramping up its deportation of migrants, government data shows.
Deportations of Mexicans, who have flocked to Canada in growing numbers after a visa requirement was lifted in December, was already 66 percent higher in the first eight months of 2017 than the total from the previous year.
Deportations of Haitians, thousands of whom have crossed into Canada illegally in the hopes of avoiding deportation from the United States, have also soared. Canada has deported 474 so far this year, compared to 100 for all of 2016 when the government lifted its own ban on deportations to Haiti, in place since a devastating 2010 earthquake.
Overall, 5,529 people have been deported as of Tuesday, compared to 7,357 for all of 2016, the data shows.