Irregular border crosser statistics

​​​​​​​​​​

Canada has been experiencing an influx of individuals crossing the Canada-United States border between ports of entry (“irregular border crossings”). The Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada (IRB), Canada’s largest independent administrative tribunal, plays a crucial role in Canada’s immigration system. The IRB, comprised of four distinct divisions, makes well-reasoned decisions on refugee and immigration matters, efficiently, fairly, and in accordance with the law. Below you can find IRB statistics in relation to these individuals.

Important notes about statistics on irregular border crossers

  • For the purposes of this report, irregular border crossers are defined as individuals who entered Canada between official ports of entry. Like other refugee protection claimants, irregular border crossers are referred to the IRB’s Refugee Protection Division (RPD) after Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) or the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) makes a determination of their eligibility.
  • The IRB is unable to report on irregular border crossers prior to February 2017, when system changes gave us the capacity to capture data on this population. However, due to some early inconsistencies in data entry it is possible that not all irregular border crossers are reflected in the statistics. In addition, only partial data is available for the months of February and March 2017.
  • The national level statistics in this report are generated by using data entered at referral by IRCC and the CBSA, as well as data from the IRB’s electronic case tracking system.

Index

Refugee claims by irregular border crossers

The Refugee Protection Division (RPD) of the IRB hears and decides claims for refugee protection made in Canada. Refugee protection can be conferred in Canada if the RPD determines that the claimant meets the United Nations definition of a Convention refugee, which has been incorporated into Canadian law, or that the claimant is a person in need of protection. Convention refugees are people who have a well-founded fear of persecution because of their race, religion, nationality, political opinion or membership in a particular social group. Membership in a particular social group can include sexual orientation, gender identity, being a woman, and HIV status. Persons in need of protection must show that if they return to their country of nationality, they will face a danger of torture, a risk to their life or a risk of cruel and unusual treatment or punishment.

A claim for refugee protection can be made by speaking to an officer from the CBSA at any port of entry upon arrival in Canada, or to an officer from IRCC or CBSA at an inland office. The officer decides whether the claim is eligible to be referred to the IRB. If the claim is eligible, it is sent (“referred”) to the RPD to start the claim for refugee protection process.

Due to privacy considerations, some values in these tables have been suppressed and replaced with the notation "--". As a result, components may not be a sum of the total indicated. In general, the Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada suppresses values less than 20.
See protecting privacy when releasing statistical information: small value suppression to learn more about how the Board approaches small value suppression.

Statistics on refugee claims made by Irregular Border Crossers, by Calendar Year and Quarter

IntakeFinalizedPending
AcceptedRejectedAbandonedWithdrawn & OtherTotal Finalized
Total 112,908 39,64322,611 1,820 6,447 70,521 42,387​
February to March 2017Footnote 1433--
--
--
--
--433
April to June 20172,159131
​24
​--
--1732,419
July to September 20178,558409139228865810,319
October to December 20176,911
6024931681161,37915,851
January to March 20185,580
519620109711,31920,112
April to June 20186,18368658470831,42324,872
July to September 20185,037
795575109125
1,604
28,305
October to December 20183,7981,3051,319541072,78529,318
January to March 20192,9182,431
1,895801094,515
27,721
April to June 20193,9572,176
2,142
8690
4,494
27,184
July to September 20195,147
1,5091,563701713,31329,018
October to December 20194,1391,6651,288891973,23929,918
January to March 20203,5002,205
1,311
721673,75529,663
April to June 202036049066--
--
57329,450
July to September 2020132
1,091
1,185
--
--
2,395
27,187
October to December 2020162
1,679
817
--
--
2,583
24,766
January to March 20212162,871
1,143
66149
4,229
20,753
April to June 2021232
2,010
993
--
--
3,39217,593
July to September 20213141,697
913
--
--
3,51214,395
October to December 2021789
1,512
952
241,178
3,666
11,518
January to March 20222,772
1,503
90472
635
3,114
11,176
April to June 20224,512
1,040
72346
507
2,316
13,372
July to September 20225,602
1,014
535
89
218
1,856
17,118
October to December 20228,010
1,171
503
85
186
1,945
23,183​
January to March 202314,183
1,761
507158166
2,592
34,774
April to June 20238,131
1,638
435
26
187
2,286
40,619
July to September 20237,016
2,544
438
61
214
3,257
44,378​
October to December 2023​2,145
3,188
541
224
186
4,139
42,387
Note 1

Partial data for February and March 2017.

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Refugee Protection Claims Made by Irregular Border Crossers, Top 10 Countries of Alleged Persecution

Refugee appeals by irregular border crossers

The Refugee Appeal Division (RAD) of the IRB decides appeals of decisions of the Refugee Protection Division (RPD) to allow or reject claims for refugee protection. A person whose claim was rejected by the RPD can ask the RAD to review this decision in order to assess whether the RPD was wrong. An error by the RPD can be about the law, the facts, or both. The RAD decides whether to confirm or to change the RPD’s decision. It may also decide to send the case back to the RPD to hear it again, giving the directions to the RPD that it considers appropriate. The Minister can also appeal to the RAD a decision by the RPD allowing a claim.

Statistics on refugee appeals by irregular border crossers, by Calendar Year and Quarter

Filed Non-Merit Merit Total Finalizations Pending at end of period
Dismissed - Lack of RAD Jurisdiction Dismissed - Appeal not Perfected Dismissed - Withdrawn, Abandoned & Other Dismissed - Confirmed RPD Allowed - Referred Back Allowed - Substituted Determination
Total 18,537 110 561 758 11,899 1,532 3,174 18,034 502​
April to June 2017--
--
--
--
--
--
--
--
--
July to September 201797--
--
--
--
--
--
--106
October to December 2017361--
--
--
--
--
--30
437
January to March 2018564--
--
--
62--
--93
908
April to June 2018509--
--
--
12732--185
1,232
July to September 2018474--
25--
175--
--233
1,473
October to December 20181,063--
28--
271
--23359
2,177
January to March 20191,632--
28--4203842543
3,266
April to June 20191,908--
26--
510
3558648
4,526
July to September 20191,483
--
33
--
6516470855​
5,154
October to December 20191,202--
31--
1,4421192081,822
4,534
January to March 20201,138
--
22--1,702
1393472,233
3,439
April to June 202079--
--
--
--
--
46463,472
July to September 20201,076--
4323
917751801,242
3,306
October to December 2020745--
52--
483
981588093,242
January to March 2021754--
--
351,323
2064412,025
1,971
April to June 2021825
--
--
88456891868431,953
July to September 2021708
--
--
119493
86134871
1,790
October to December 2021673
--
--
148
525
892321,031
1,432
January to March 2022634
--
--
85488
55205
8681,198
April to June 2022660
--
--
49364461286171,241
July to September 2022427--
27
--
316521175331,135
October to December 2022357--
----29253138511980
January to March 2023280--
22--
279
66159543717
April to June 2023280
--
--
--
1763782323674
July to September 2023229--
--
--
19037
105356
547​
October to December 2023367------2256796414502​

Detention reviews for irregular border crossers

The Immigration Division (ID) of the IRB reviews, at intervals established in the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act (IRPA), the grounds for detention of foreign nationals or permanent residents detained under the IRPA. The grounds for detention are:

  • Danger to the public;
  • Flight Risk (unlikely to appear for examination, an admissibility hearing, removal, or at a proceeding that could lead to the Minister issuing a removal order under subsection 44(2) of the IRPA);
  • The Minister is taking necessary steps to inquire into a reasonable suspicion that the person concerned is inadmissible on grounds of security, violating human or international rights, serious criminality, criminality or organized criminality;
  • Identity of the person concerned has not been established; and
  • Identity of the designated foreign national has not been established.

When the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) detains a person and that person is not released, the ID must review the grounds for detention and decide whether there is reason under the IRPA to continue detention. The ID carries out a review:

  • within 48 hours of the start of detention or without delay afterwards;
  • then within 7 days of that first review; and
  • after that, the ID reviews the grounds for detention at least once every 30 days.

Based on the evidence and the testimony of both parties (the CBSA and the person concerned) and any other witnesses, the ID may order the release of the person, with or without conditions, or order continued detention.

Statistics on irregular border crossers subject to a detention review

Total Persons
Total 2,439
February to March 20171 -- 
April to June 201756
July to September 2017129
October to December 2017100
January to March 201877
April to June 2018163
July to September 2018171
October to December 2018154
January to March 2019120
April to June 2019172
July to September 2019160
October to December 2019128
January to March 2020135
April to June 202021
July to September 2020 -- 
October to December 202027
January to March 2021 -- 
April to June 2021 -- 
July to September 2021 -- 
October to December 2021
45
January to March 2022
53
April to June 2022
70
July to September 2022
131
October to December 2022
174​
January to March 2023
169​
April to June 2023
8​0
July to September 2023
36
October to December 2023
32​​

 
*

Partial data for February and March 2017.

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Statistics on total detention reviews concluded for irregular border crossers

48-hour reviews 7-day reviews 30-day reviews Total Concluded
Total 1,803 1,665 1,697 5,165
February to March 20171--------
April to June 2017544624
124
July to September 2017118
93
74
285
October to December 201767
7464
205
January to March 2018535245
150
April to June 2018127107112
346
July to September 2018129114110353
October to December 2018102
91
112
305
January to March 201986
8286
254
April to June 2019141131112
384
July to September 2019110112126
348
October to December 201994
8996
279
January to March 20201069785
288
April to June 2020------​25
July to September 2020------​22
October to December 2020----22
41
January to March 2021------33
April to June 2021------35
July to September 2021------​33
October to December 2021
40
36
23
99
January to March 2022
30
29
45
104
April to June 2022
61
57
48
166
July to September 2022
113
108
96
317
October to December 2022
128
125
141
394​
January to March 2023
131
115
122​
368
April to June 2023
30
39
68
137​
July to September 2023
----23
60​
October to December 2023
22
--​--62​
*

Partial data for February and March 2017.

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Admissibility hearings for irregular border crossers

The Immigration Division (ID) of the IRB conducts admissibility hearings for certain categories of people believed to be inadmissible to Canada under the law.

At the request of the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA), foreign nationals or permanent residents who are believed to have contravened the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act (IRPA) appear before the ID for admissibility hearings. In a limited number of cases, Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) may also request an admissibility hearing. A person may not be able to enter or remain in Canada for one of the following reasons:

  • Security (s. 34)
  • Human or international rights violations (s. 35)
  • Serious criminality (s. 36)
  • Organized criminality (s. 37)
  • Health grounds (s. 38)
  • Financial reasons (s. 39)
  • Misrepresentation (s. 40)
  • Non-compliance with the IRPA (s. 41)
  • Inadmissible family member (s. 42)
Statistics on admissibility hearings for irregular border crossers
 ReceivedFinalizedPending at
end of period
Departure OrderDeportation OrderExclusion OrderFavourableFailed to AppearWithdrawn
& Other
Total
Total 877 236 255 -- 129 28 110 763 --
February to March 20171------------------
April to June 2017------------------
July to September 201736------------25--
October to December 201744------------3527
January to March 201836------------4023
April to June 201835------------2632
July to September 20184625----------4929
October to December 20183621----------3827
January to March 201928
------------3124
April to June 201942
------------2343
July to September 201935
------------2454
October to December 201922
--------------57
January to March 202045
------------3072
April to June 2020----------------71
July to September 2020----------------73
October to December 2020----------------79
January to March 202130
------------2386
April to June 202139
--------------110
July to September 202141
------------29
122
October to December 2021
22
------------20124
January to March 2022
27
------------29122
April to June 2022
32
------------29
125
July to September 2022
32
------------46
111
October to December 2022
46
------------37
120​
January to March 2023
77
------------31
166
April to June 2023
39
------------58
147
July to September 2023
21
------------35
133
October to December 2023
--------------29
114​
​​
*

Partial data for February and March 2017.

Return to note 1 referrer