Scared of Trump's immigration crackdown, more migrants seek Canadian asylum

There are so many people that have been deported since Donald Trump has been in office, you know they're just scared, according to a Montreal-based group that assists undocumented migrants

The number of people seeking asylum at a key border crossing south of Montreal has begun to rise again, Canadian officials confirmed on Tuesday, with growing concerns that US immigration policies could trigger another wave of migrants heading north.

 

Officials at the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) told Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, Canada's national public broadcaster, that there’s been a noticeable uptick in claims at the Saint-Bernard-de-Lacolle crossing, with 1,356 asylum applications recorded in March and 557 more filed by April 6. This compares to 11,118 at the same time last year — a 53 per cent drop overall — but the recent rise is being closely watched amid shifting US policy.

 

 

“There are so many people that have been deported since Donald Trump has been in office, you know they’re just scared,” Frantz André, spokesperson for a Montreal-based group that assists undocumented migrants said in a statement. “As soon as they get the letter [revoking their status], they’re looking for ways to get out of the States.”

 

"Individuals seeking to enter Canada from south of Montreal primarily access the country through designated border crossings or, in some cases, through irregular crossings, particularly at Roxham Road, which has become a popular route for asylum seekers," according to Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC).

 

Rise in asylum claims from international students

 

“Many Indians could choose that option. Apart from the geographical proximity, they are likely to be encouraged by the fact that the political Left, which has sympathies for would-be deportees, is dominant in Canada. Moreover, there are individuals and groups who are willing to help them,” Darshan Maharaja, a Canada-based immigration analyst told Business Standard.

 

Last month, an Indian PhD candidate at the prestigious Columbia University in the US, who was accused of being a “pro-Hamas sympathiser”, sought help from immigration attorneys and has temporarily taken refuge in Canada, according to India's ministry of external affairs.

While, there’s no specific data yet for Indians crossing at Quebec in 2025, previous trends show a steep rise in asylum claims from students in Canada.

 

 In 2023, 13,660 claims were filed by international students — up from just 1,810 in 2018. Among them 2,290 claims came from Indian nationals and 1,990 from Nigerian students. Indians have also increasingly sought asylum in the US. According to a study by researchers at Johns Hopkins University, the number rose from 9,000 in 2018 to 51,000 in 2023 — a 466 per cent increase in five years.

 

US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) lists over 18,000 undocumented Indians. But estimates from Pew Research Center and the Center for Migration Studies of New York suggest the number could be closer to 700,000. The Migration Policy Institute places it around 375,000. More than 600 Indians have already been deported under the Trump administration.

 

Concerns over US deportation tactics

 

Frantz André said growing numbers are avoiding detention in the US by fleeing early.

 

“We’ve seen already what’s happening, I don’t think they’re going to wait... because currently ICE (Immigration and Customs Enforcement) is going to workplaces, to churches, going on the street,” he said. “They intercept you and, if you are one of those, you’re gone.”

 

Safe Third Country Agreement

 

The rise in refugee numbers has reignited debate on Canada’s obligations under the Safe Third Country Agreement (STCA), a bilateral treaty with the United States that bars most asylum seekers from claiming protection in Canada if they first arrived in the US. 

“During Donald Trump’s previous presidency too, the US adopted a tougher stance on immigration, including tighter restrictions on asylum eligibility, expanded detention policies, and fast-tracked deportations. These measures led many migrants to view the US as no longer a safe or fair place to seek protection, prompting a spike in irregular border crossings into Canada. In response, Canada and the US amended the STCA in 2023 to cover the entire land border, effectively closing the loophole that had allowed such crossings,” Deepika Kumari, Partner, King Stubb & Kasiva, Advocates and Attorneys explained to Business Standard.

 

Last month, Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney, in a public statement said Canada cannot be expected to accommodate asylum seekers leaving the US.

 

“Under this accord, we can send them back to the United States and for me this is appropriate,” Carney said. “The situation has changed in the United States. The possibility of a wave of asylum seekers exists now, and Canada and the United States must work in close collaboration to manage this situation.”

 

In contrast, Conservative leader Pierre Poilievre blamed the ruling Liberals for a “broken” immigration system.

 

“Obviously, if someone is a true refugee who is truly endangered abroad and they come in under the proper rules, then they should be allowed to stay,” he said. “But if they’re a fraudster, they will have to go.”

 

The Safe Third Country Agreement has long been contested by refugee advocacy groups, particularly during Trump’s presidency.

 

“Canada must carefully evaluate these disparities to uphold its commitments to human rights and its legal obligations under domestic and international frameworks,” said Ketan Mukhija, senior partner at Burgeon Law, speaking to Business Standard.

 

Amnesty International Canada argues that returning claimants to the US violates the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms.

 

“President Trump’s extreme anti-immigrant and anti-asylum orders are designed to instil fear and make the US dangerously more unsafe for those seeking protection,” said Ketty Nivyabandi, Secretary General of Amnesty International Canada. “Canada’s assertion that the United States remains a safe country for refugees under the Trump administration is a cruel irony to those fleeing persecution today.”