New data shows asylum seekers are obtaining refugee status at higher rates as fears increase under the Trump administration’s immigration crackdownAsylum seekers who illegally crossed the US border into Canada this year are obtaining refugee status at higher rates, new data shows, as authorities accept claims from people who say they feared being deported by Donald Trump’s administration. More than 15,000 people have crossed the US-Canadian border illegally to claim refugee status in Canada this year. Many were in the United States legally and some interviewed by Reuters said they might have stayed were it not for an immigration crackdown. Of the 592 claims from border crossers finalized between March and September, 69% – or 408 in total – were accepted, according to Immigration and Refugee Board figures. That 69% acceptance rate is higher than the acceptance rate for all refugee claims from people who came to Canada through any method last year.

Source: The Guardian October 20, 2017 19:30 UTC