OTTAWA — Striking a more aggressive tone on irregular asylum seekers, the federal government has promised to prioritize the removal of failed asylum claimants who have crossed the border illegally. Tuesday’s federal budget commits $1.18 billion over five years to implement a new border enforcement strategy. The money is a substantial increase compared to last year, when Ottawa committed just $173 million for the processing of asylum claims. However, the agreement only applies to official border crossings, which means that asylum seekers can make refugee claims in Canada if they cross the border elsewhere. A total of 20,600 irregular asylum seekers entered the country in 2017, and another 19,400 in 2018, most crossing onto a rural road near Lacolle, Que.

Source: National Post March 19, 2019 21:33 UTC