Canada shut its land border to asylum seekers. More refugees came anyway

FILE PHOTO: People wait to seek help from the FCJ Refugee Center, which provides essential assistance for refugee claimants in Toronto, Canada, August 7, 2023. REUTERS/Wa Lone/File Photo

TORONTO (Reuters) - A deal Canada struck this year to stem the flow of asylum seekers entering from the U.S. was, at first glance, a quick success: Within days, the number of people caught at unofficial crossings along the border dwindled to a trickle.

But five months later, the overall number of people filing refugee claims in Canada has risen instead of falling. Many now come by air, while others sneak across the border and hide until they can apply for asylum without fear of being sent back, people working with migrants told Reuters.