In June 2024, over 5,000 undocumented immigrants from India crossed the U.S.-Canada border, setting a record. For the first time, the flow of Indian migrants across the northern border overweighted the flow through the U.S.-Mexico border. The U.S. has raised concerns with Canada over its liberal visa policies, which attract international students and contribute to the rise in illegal migration. Also the number of Indian nationals seeking asylum in the U.K. while on the way to Canada has also increased.
The U.S.-Canada border, the longest unguarded border in the world, has now become a new alarming point for immigration issues. In June, the number of undocumented migrants from India crossing the border reached 5,152.
The main reason for this increase is Canada’s liberal visa policy, which has been relaxed since 2017. With the new approach of tightening the rules for obtaining permanent residency and legalization in general, many are realizing that it will be more difficult to legalize their status in Canada, and living without legal status in Canada is much harder than in the U.S. This is precisely why there has been an outflow of undocumented immigrants to the U.S from Canada, which has naturally raised concerns of our southern neighbor.
The number of international students in Canada has risen by 61% from 2018 to 2022. The U.S. is concerned that Canada’s system could be used as a gateway for illegal entry into their country. The U.K. is also proposing the introduction of transit visas for Indian nationals heading to Canada due to the rise in asylum claims.
Countries are reassessing their immigration policies in an effort to address the situation.
