By Canadian Press

Asylum claims have more than tripled since 2015, Statistics Canada says

May 17, 2019 | 7:55 AM

OTTAWA — New figures out this morning from the national statistics office says the number of asylum claims in Canada more than tripled between 2015 and 2018.

Statistics Canada says that in 2015, the year the Trudeau Liberals were elected, there were about 16,000 asylum claimants.

Two years later, in 2017, there were more than 50,000 claims.

Last year, Statistics Canada says, there were 55,000 claimants, showing the pace of growth had slowed, but the total was well above the previous peak for claimants a decade earlier.

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Details from the national statistics agency also show that asylum claimants tend to be younger than the general population in Canada, and most are male.

Economically, asylum-seekers fare similarly to other immigrant groups — the longer they are in the country, the higher their average salaries and wages.

The Canadian Press