Canada is turning away more people at its borders, approving fewer visas

Karah Rucker

CANADA IS TURNING AWAY MORE PEOPLE AT ITS BORDERS AND APPROVING FEWER VISAS ACCORDING TO NEW GOVERNMENT DATA OBTAINED BY REUTERS.

THE NEW DATA SHOWING A CRACKDOWN AT THE COUNTRY’S BORDER – COMES AS THERE’S A GROWING DISSATISFACTION FROM CANADIANS IN HOW PRIME MINISTER JUSTIN TRUDEAU’S LIBERAL GOVERNMENT HAS BEEN HANDLING IMMIGRATION – WITH NEXT YEAR BEING AN ELECTION YEAR.

ACCORDING TO THE DATA – IN JULY –

CANADA REJECTED A RECORD 5,853 FOREIGN TRAVELERS—STUDENTS, WORKERS, AND TOURISTS—MARKING THE HIGHEST NUMBER SINCE AT LEAST JANUARY OF 2019. BORDER OFFICERS ALSO DEEMED 285 VISA-HOLDERS INADMISSIBLE IN JULY, ANOTHER RECORD HIGH.

THE AVERAGE MONTHLY REJECTIONS FOR THE FIRST SEVEN MONTHS OF 2024 REACHED 3,727, A 20% INCREASE FROM THE PREVIOUS YEAR. 

IMMIGRATION DATA SHOWS THAT IN JUNE, THE RATIO OF REFUSED VISITOR VISA APPLICATIONS WAS THE HIGHEST SINCE THE PANDEMIC BEGAN. 

APPROVALS FOR STUDY AND WORK PERMITS HAVE ALSO DECLINED FROM PREVIOUS HIGHS.

THE CANADIAN GOVERNMENT IS FEELING PRESSURE AFTER POLLING SUGGESTS PEOPLE BELIEVE THE COUNTRY IS ADMITTING TOO MANY IMMIGRANTS –

AND THAT IS EXACERBATING THEIR HOUSING SHORTAGE AND DRIVING UP PRICES.

CANADA’S “IMMIGRATION MINISTER” MARC MILLER SAYS CANADIANS “WANT A SYSTEM THAT IS NOT OUT OF CONTROL.”

HIS SPOKESPERSON ATTRIBUTED THE DROP IN STUDY PERMIT APPROVALS TO A NEW CAP ANNOUNCED EARLIER THIS YEAR.

A SPOKESPERSON FOR THE “CANADA BORDER SERVICES AGENCY” SAID THAT CHANGES IN THE NUMBER OF PEOPLE GETTING TURNED AWAY COULD BE DUE TO SHIFTING MIGRATION PATTERNS OR POLICY UPDATES, THOUGH NO SPECIFIC POLICY CHANGES WERE MENTIONED. THE SPOKESPERSON EMPHASIZED THAT THE CBSA’S APPROACH TO WHETHER SOMEONE IS ADMISSIBLE OR NOT REMAINS THE SAME.

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