Nearly half a billion spent on visa-exempt asylum claims: PBO

Canada has spent nearly half a billion dollars over the last five years processing asylum claims from people who arrived in the country without a visa, a new report from the parliamentary budget officer has found.

The PBO analyzed the cost of processing claims from visa-exempt countries, which up until recently included Mexico, and released its findings Friday.

In February, Ottawa reinstated the visa requirement for Mexican nationals.

Asylum claims from that country reached a record high last year, but more than 60 per cent were either rejected or withdrawn.

Many claimants travelled to Canada by plane with a travel document known as an Electronic Travel Authorization or eTA which is easier to obtain than a visa.

“The application for eTA requires a $7 fee and is completed online, with most applications being approved within minutes,” said the PBO report.

The federal government has spent $455 million over the last five years processing asylum claims for people who travelled to Canada with an eTA and who are still waiting for final decisions on whether they can stay.

The PBO also estimates that the average cost for a claimant arriving in Canada with an eTA is $16,500, but that price tag can range between $9,055 and $40,814 depending on the appeals process.

The number of asylum claims has risen since 2016, and reached a record high of 144,860 last year, said the report.

“Asylum claimants who arrive in Canada with an Electronic Travel Authorization (eTA) are the fastest growing group when compared to claimants with other types of authorizations to enter Canada (such as visas).”

More to come