Asylum claims in Canada jumps in 2019

Alanbatnews - The total number of asylum claims lodged in Canada so far this year is higher than in the same period in 2018, according to new statistics released Tuesday.

Canada's national statistical agency said it has processed 39,705 new claims for refugee status so far in 2019, which is about 5,000 more than had been processed at this point last year.

"The surge of asylum-seekers has become a lingering sore spot in federal-provincial relations, mainly Quebec and Ontario, with the Liberal government promising hundreds of millions of dollars to both provinces to ease some of the strain on housing and social services," the agency added.

Meanwhile, a slight dip is shown in the number of people intercepted at the Canada-U.S. border last month trying to cross unofficially to claim asylum, as 1,762 people were stopped by the Canadian Police crossing into Canada at informal border points, down from 1,874 in July.