By Canadian Press

Rise in asylum seekers to Canada as migrants’ protected status set to expire in U.S.

Apr 8, 2025 | 11:51 AM

MONTREAL — Canadian border officials say there has been a steady rise in the number of people seeking asylum at a border crossing south of Montreal.

The rise in would-be refugees at the St-Bernard-de-Lacolle crossing comes as the temporary status of hundreds of thousands of migrants in the United States is set to expire over the next weeks and months.

Data from Canada Border Services Agency shows the number of asylum claims at the St-Bernard-de-Lacolle point of entry has increased since the start of the year, with 1,356 applications in March and 557 claims as of Saturday for April.

Frantz André, spokesman for a Montreal-based group that helps undocumented migrants with asylum cases, says there has been a rise in would-be refugees coming to Canada since the election of U.S. President Donald Trump in November.

U.S. Homeland Security said last month it was revoking the temporary status of 532,000 people from Cuba, Haiti, Nicaragua and Venezuela who flew to the country at their own expense with a financial sponsor. It ends April 24.

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The Trump administration has also announced an end to Temporary Protected Status for 600,000 Venezuelans and about 500,00 Haitians, though a federal judge temporarily put that on hold.

André says many of the claimants at the Quebec border crossing are Haitians fleeing the U.S. before their status is removed.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published April 8, 2025.

— With files from The Associated Press.

The Canadian Press