Canadian visa in hand, record number of Indians illegally enter US, seek asylum in UK
The most recent statistics available from US Customs and Border Protection (CBP) indicates that 5,152 undocumented Indians crossed the border into the US on foot from Canada in June alone, setting a record.
The number of undocumented Indians entering the US on foot from Canada has increased to an all-time high, according to data examined by The Indian Express. The spike in question has brought attention to Canada’s visa screening procedure, especially in light of concurrent worries about Indian passengers traveling to Canada who are requesting refuge in the UK throughout their journey.
The most recent statistics available from US Customs and Border Protection (CBP) indicates that 5,152 undocumented Indians crossed the border into the US on foot from Canada in June alone, setting a record. Additionally, beginning December 2023, the number of Indians entering the US via Canada has surpassed that of those entering by the infamous Mexico route .
The US-Canada border, which stretches over about 9,000 km, is the world’s longest open border. It is more than twice as long as the border with Mexico and, coincidentally, over three times longer than India’s 3,400-km border with China.
The average monthly count of Indians who were “encountered” (i.e., detained, banished, or denied entrance) at the US border with Canada between January and June of this year was 3,733, up from 2,548 in 2023, a 47% increase, according to US CBP data (see chart). Moreover, this is a 13-fold increase over 2021 (282).
These figures take on importance when compared to the growing economic influence of the lawfully settled Indian people in the United States. For example, according to a recent analysis by Boston Consulting Group, although making up only 1.5% of the US population, Indian Americans are predicted to pay between 5 and 6% of all income taxes in the country.
Comparable data from across the Atlantic, however, indicates that the number of Indians applying for asylum “at port” in the UK increased by 136% between 2022 and 2021 (1,170 vs. 495), and then increased again in 2023 (1,319). Up to June of this year, 475 asylum seekers have been listed as “at port.”
It has been discovered that a “significant share” of these applications are transit travelers with a layover in the UK en route to Canada. The Indian Express was informed by a number of sources that Canada has been informed of these concerns by both the US and the UK. According to the sources, the UK has suggested that all Indian people traveling to Canada seek transit permits for any stops, while the US has been pushing for a stricter visa screening procedure.
When questioned about these correspondences, an Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) representative stated: “At this time, the IRCC is unable to provide comment on specifics of any engagement with the United Kingdom or the United States.” In order to make the necessary adjustments, Canada is attempting to gain a deeper understanding of the underlying reasons and facilitation networks of these activities. As part of this process, data on the relevant flows from current information sharing agreements are analyzed, and opportunities to improve cooperation are found.
According to the UK Home Office, preventing system abuse is a top priority. “Each asylum claim is thoroughly evaluated based on its unique merits, taking into account all the information submitted by the applicant as well as published national data and a variety of reputable, publicly accessible sources,” the statement stated.
When asked about “internal diplomatic discussions,” the US Embassy in Ottawa declined to comment. “The US continues to enforce immigration law, and our borders are not open for those without a legal basis to enter the country,” a CBP representative stated. Indian nationals without a valid visa are being removed by the Department of Homeland Security, sometimes using charter flights.
Why Canada, Why Now?
“Canada provides the best possible balance between a soft border and an easily obtained visa. An immigration adviser accredited with the Canada Regulatory Council stated, “It’s a much safer option than taking one of those ‘dunki’ (illegal) routes via West Asia, Africa, or the Caribbean, to join the crowd waiting to cross the heavily guarded Mexico border.”
According to Canada’s Refugee Protection Division (RPD), the number of Indian people requesting asylum has increased dramatically. Indians filed 6,056 claims this year during the January–March quarter alone, up from 9,060 claims in 2023.
The uptrend began in 2017, coinciding with Canada’s easing of visa requirements in an attempt to attract international students. According to government data, the number of foreign students studying in Canada increased by 61% between 2016 and 2022, from 5,23,971 to 844,444, and their total spending increased from $15.5 billion to $37.3 billion.
When it came to the recent course correction resulting in higher cost-of-living requirements for students, a reduction in visa caps, and work permit extensions due to mounting evidence of visa abuse, Indian immigrants entering the US on foot had already largely moved to the northern border, surpassing Mexican immigration by December 2023. The northern border saw twice as many encounters (22,398 encounters) between January and June 2024 as the southern frontier (11,052 encounters).
Simultaneously, a mechanism that links asylum eligibility to the frequency of contacts and a US Presidential Proclamation from June that temporarily suspended the admission of certain non-US citizens contributed to a more than 50% decrease in interactions at the border with Mexico. Importantly, though, the northern boundary is exempt from these limitations.
“Because the southern border has far more robust border protection, entering from it is far more perilous and difficult. Professor Devesh Kapur of the Johns Hopkins University School of Advanced International Studies stated that it makes more sense to enter Canada from the north than the south if obtaining a visa is simple.
In addition to drawing attention to the dearth of security and the decline in Border Patrol agents, the Northern Border Security Caucus was established by 28 members of the US Congress last year with the goal of pressuring Homeland Security to combat the growing drug and people trafficking.
“American migrants used to migrate north, but there aren’t many possibilities for them to stay and work in Canada these days. People arrived in Canada and migrated south to settle because visiting visas and student visas were very easy to obtain until recently, according to political scientist Shinder Purewal, a former British Columbian citizenship judge.
The UK’s Transit Loophole
If the border with Canada is drawing undocumented Indians to the US, the UK’s lure is the lack of a transit visa requirement for Indians traveling to Canada for stops in London. Among the top five asylum seekers in the UK by nationality, the increase in Indians really sticks out. The number of Indian asylum seekers at UK ports surged elevenfold between 2018 and 2023, well outpacing the rise of Pakistani asylum applicants (5 times) and Afghan asylum seekers (15%).
“Indians who are changing flights at Heathrow (London) and have a valid visa for the USA, Canada, or Australia do not need to apply for a transit visa.” The immigration adviser stated, “We (Indians) are exempt from the transit visa (requirement) in Zurich (Switzerland) and Amsterdam (Netherlands) but not in Frankfurt (Germany).
The number of Indian asylum seekers who were “at port” in the UK reached a high point of 930 in 2003 and then declined to 102 in 2005. Not until 2019 did it cross the 100-mark. However, the true surge occurred in the final quarter of 2021 following the relaxation of the Covid limitations, as 318 Indians applied for refuge in just three months.
Since then, the trend has been upward.
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