Refugee claim statistics, year end 2006

Total number of claims: 22,887 (in 2005: 19,624; in 2004: 25,521)

62% of claims were made inland
20% of claims were made at the US-Canada border
18% of claims were made at an airport

(This percentage breakdown is very similar to 2005. In 2004 (pre-safe third) 35% of claims were made at the US-Canada border.)

Region where claims made:
63% in Ontario
30% in Québec
5% in BC
2% in Prairies
0.3% in Atlantic

(There is some shift here from 2005 when there were 69% claims in Ontario, 24% in Québec. In 2004, 71% of claims were in Ontario, only 22% in Québec.)

Top offices where claims made:
Etobicoke: 7,806 - 34% of all claims
Montreal inland: 3,552 - 16% of all claims
Fort Erie Peace Bridge: 2,424 - 11% of all claims
Trudeau Airport: 2,108 - 9% of all claims
Toronto airports: 1,799 - 8%
Lacolle: 826 - 4% of all claims
Windsor Ambassador Bridge: 770 - 3% of all claims
Vancouver inland: 615 - 3%
(These offices together represent 87% of all claims)

Total claims in Atlantic: 67 (63 in 2005)
Total claims in Prairies: 476 (363 in 2005)

570 claims were found ineligible (just over 2% of all claims)
Of these, 403 (71%) were ineligible based on safe third
149 (26%) were ineligible because of a previous claim
10 were ineligible because of refugee status in another country
4 were ineligible on security grounds, 1 for violating human rights and 3 for serious criminality.

In 23 cases, consideration of eligibility was suspended

The top country of origin of claimants was Mexico: 4,914 claims (representing 21% of all claims)

Of claims made at the land border, the top countries of origin were:

Colombia: 748
Haiti: 489
Zimbabwe: 462
US: 403
Burundi: 360
DRC: 229
El Salvador: 187

* Note that a large proportion of the claims from US citizens are likely the young children of claimants from other countries (such as Colombian) who had been in the US before making a claim in Canada.

For those exempted from safe third country, 48% were exempt based on moratorium countries, and 31% based on family. There were 245 minors recorded as principal applicants. There were still no exemptions for death penalty.

Male claimants at the land border outnumbered female: 54% to 46%.

These figures are calculated from monthly statistics provided through the year by CIC. Note that statistics tend to “settle” with time, so there will be some adjustment with final stats for the whole year. CIC has still not provided the CCR with final stats for 2005.