On March 31, Canada and the United States closed the Roxham Road (new window) used by asylum seekers to cross the land border into Quebec and submit their application there.
The data published Monday by Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) makes it possible to document the change in the distribution of files between the two most populous provinces for approximately a year.
Since the closure of Roxham, the number of interceptions
by the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) at the Quebec border has gone from more than 4,000 per month to only a few dozen. However, this did not limit the number of total entries, which mainly went to the country’s airports.
Tripling in Ontario, stability in Quebec
During the first four months of 2024, the number of claims filed in Ontario almost tripled, from 11,915 to 31,820 people. The total in Quebec remains fairly stable, from 22,605 to 22,905 for the first four months of the year. During this same period, the Canadian total rose from 37,480 to 62,180 requests.
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Thus, Ontario now welcomes 51% of applicants, compared to 36% the previous year. This change alleviates the imbalance that Quebec complained about. At the start of the year, it received 32% of files, a proportion more in line with its demographics, i.e. 22% of the Canadian population.
During the first four months of 2023, it welcomed 60% of asylum seekers, compared to only 36% for Ontario, even if, in fact, there are as many people arriving in Quebec.
Two other provinces in the west of the country, Alberta and British Columbia, also saw their total and their proportion increase: between them they welcomed 10.4% of applicants at the start of the year, compared to 7.4 % at the start of 2023.
