Fears of a surge in refugee claimants and illegal border crossings following the inauguration of U.S. President Donald Trump have not materialized, according to new federal data showing a sharp decline in attempted entries into Canada.Blacklock's Reporter says the Canada Border Services Agency reported 12,185 refugee claimants between January and April, down 50% from 24,445 in the same period last year. The RCMP recorded 544 illegal border crossers during that time, compared to 603 the previous year — a 10% drop. No explanation was provided for the decline.Federal officials had anticipated a flood of claimants fleeing tougher U.S. immigration enforcement after Trump took office on January 20. .A March 14 memo from the Department of Public Works, recently released, warned that agencies were preparing for a possible spike in asylum seekers. “These requirements have arisen recently as a result of the political context within the United States and have been identified as a high priority and in some cases urgent,” stated the document titled Key Files: Asylum Seekers, Detainees And Borders.The memo indicated the Canada Border Services Agency, RCMP, and Department of Immigration had all requested additional procurement and leasing support to manage a potential increase in claimants.Despite these preparations, the numbers fell. .Public Safety Minister David McGuinty said days before Trump’s inauguration that it was impossible to predict how many people might attempt to enter Canada illegally. “Answering that question would be speculative right now,” he told reporters January 15.The United States currently has an estimated 10.99 million illegal immigrants, according to a 2024 report by the U.S. Office of Homeland Security Statistics. The report found Mexico remains the largest source of undocumented migrants, with the highest populations in New York at 410,000 and Washington state at 340,000..Canada Border Services Agency president Erin O’Gorman said officers remained ready. “The Agency has contingencies in place,” she said. She also emphasized the importance of the Safe Third Country Agreement, a 2004 treaty with the United States that disqualifies most refugee claims made by those entering Canada from the U.S. at official ports of entry.“I would just point out the Safe Third Country Agreement remains in place,” said O’Gorman. “That’s an important tool for both Canada and the United States. We’re implementing it every day.”The agreement was upheld as constitutional by the Supreme Court of Canada in 2023.
