Asylum claimants by year – 2017

Given the number of border interceptions currently being processed, there is a delay in asylum claims application information appearing in our system. As determinations are made that persons crossing the border are eligible to make an asylum claim, that information is entered into our system and is reflected in the asylum claims data that is published monthly to our website. Applications information is backdated, as appropriate, as it is entered into the system.

Therefore, the data posted to the IRCC website is considered preliminary and subject to change. Updated data for previous months is published to our website on a monthly basis as it becomes available and according to the monthly data release schedule.

Individuals can make an asylum claim in Canada at a port of entry, at a Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) inland office or an Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) inland office. CBSA or IRCC officials will then determine if an individual is eligible to make an asylum claim.

About this data

These numbers reflect asylum claimant numbers for 2024 and are still subject to change.

This data should not be used as an indication of the number of asylum claimants presently residing in a province or territory. The table pulls data on number of asylum claimants who have submitted a valid claim by year and province of claim. The data may include individuals who have claimed asylum and since obtained a referral to the IRB, have become protected persons (as defined by the IRB), or have since become a permanent resident in the year in which their asylum claim was made

Backgrounder: Claiming asylum in Canada – what happens?

Refugee protection claims statistics (Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada)

Asylum claimants processed and interceptions

Monthly report - Calendar year 2017

RCMP Interceptions
Provinces Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Total
New Brunswick 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1
Quebec 245 452 654 672 576 781 2,996 5,530 1,720 1,755 1,539 1,916 18,836
Ontario 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Manitoba 19 142 170 146 106 63 87 80 78 67 38 22 1,018
Saskatchewan 5 0 0 9 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 14
Alberta 0 0 1 0 0 1 0 0 4 0 0 0 6
British Columbia 46Footnote * 84 71 32 60 39 51 102 79 68 46 40 718
Total - RCMP 315 678 897 859 742 884 3,134 5,712 1,881 1,890 1,623 1,978 20,593

Numbers are manually verified and subject to change.

The number of “RCMP interceptions” refers to asylum seekers apprehended between the ports of entry and does not reflect other border crossings. These numbers may be included in either CBSA or IRCC processing results as the asylum seekers are turned over by the RCMP to these agencies if a claim of refugee status is made.

Asylum Claimants processed by the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA), January - December 2017

Air Ports of Entry
Provinces/TerritoriesJanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecTotal
Newfoundland and Labrador000050--000--05
Prince Edward Island0000000000000
Nova Scotia00005000--0005
New Brunswick0000000000000
Quebec405550407575851051251151002351,100
Ontario2151851451651801351801502402651953902,460
Manitoba0000000000--0--
Saskatchewan0000000000000
Alberta5----15----10--105--2080
British Columbia251020151525201520251515210
Yukon0000000000000
Northwest Territories0000000000000
Nunavut00000000--0--0--
Total - Air Ports of Entry2852552202352852402952704004053206603,870
Land Ports of Entry
Provinces/TerritoriesJanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecTotal
Newfoundland and Labrador0000000000000
Prince Edward Island0000000000000
Nova Scotia0000000000000
New Brunswick--05150----00--0--25
Quebec4456007855052652702852902002652452804,445
Ontario4304505555155004504405754904253153305,475
Manitoba20150180165125709585757540201,100
Saskatchewan00--10----000--5020
Alberta152525101025202535101010215
British Columbia10203535205304050203035345
Yukon0000000000000
Northwest Territories0000000000000
Nunavut0000000000000
Total - Land Ports of Entry9251,2451,5951,2559208258751,01585580064567511,625
Marine Ports of Entry
Provinces/TerritoriesJanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecTotal
Newfoundland and Labrador0000000000000
Prince Edward Island0000000000000
Nova Scotia000--000--00005
New Brunswick0000000000000
Quebec000500--0--0----15
Ontario0000000000000
Manitoba0000000000000
Saskatchewan0000000000000
Alberta0000000000000
British Columbia--00000000000--
Yukon0000000000000
Northwest Territories0000000000000
Nunavut0000000000000
Total - Marine Ports of Entry--00500------0----25
All Ports of Entry (Air, Land and Marine)
Provinces/TerritoriesJanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecTotal
Newfoundland and Labrador000050--000--05
Prince Edward Island0000000000000
Nova Scotia000--500----00015
New Brunswick--05150----00--0--25
Quebec4856608405503353453753953303803505155,560
Ontario6456357006856805856207257356905107257,930
Manitoba20150180165125709585757545201,100
Saskatchewan00--10----000--5020
Alberta202525251530302545151030300
British Columbia353555503530505570455050555
Yukon0000000000000
Northwest Territories0000000000000
Nunavut00000000--0--0--
Total - Ports of Entry1,2101,5001,8151,5001,2001,0651,1751,2901,2551,2059701,34015,520
Inland Offices
Provinces/TerritoriesJanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecTotal
Newfoundland and Labrador000000000--00--
Prince Edward Island0000000000000
Nova Scotia0000000000000
New Brunswick--00000000000--
Quebec20253080701051,2509153957857207455,140
Ontario10151515510301510252015180
Manitoba00000--0------0--5
Saskatchewan0000000000000
Alberta00000----00--0--5
British Columbia458080558050901551051005015905
Yukon0000000000000
Northwest Territories0000000000000
Nunavut0000000000000
Total - Inland Offices751151201501601701,3701,0855159157907756,240
Summary of Asylum Claimants processed by the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA), January - December 2017
CBSA designated ports of entry/inland officesJanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecTotal
Air Ports of Entry2852552202352852402952704004053206603,870
Land Ports of Entry9251,2451,5951,2559208258751,01585580064567511,625
Marine Ports of Entry--00500------0----25
All Ports of Entry (Air, Land and Marine)1,2101,5001,8151,5001,2001,0651,1751,2901,2551,2059701,34015,520
Inland Offices751151201501601701,3701,0855159157907756,240
Total - CBSA Land, Air and Marine port of entry and Inland Offices1,2851,6151,9351,6451,3601,2352,5452,3751,7702,1201,7602,11521,760

These statistics include asylum claimants intercepted by the RCMP and brought to a CBSA designated port of entry or inland office, and do not include asylum claims made at Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada offices. Figures may vary slightly depending on the date when the claim was received.

Please note that all values between 0 and 5 are shown as “--”. This is done to prevent individuals from being identified when data is compiled and compared to other publicly available statistics. All other values are rounded to the closest multiple of 5 for the same reason; as a result of rounding, data may not sum to the totals indicated.

Asylum Claimants processed by Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC), January - December 2017
Provinces/TerritoriesJanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecTotal
Newfoundland and Labrador0--00000----0005
Prince Edward Island0000000000000
Nova Scotia----0----55------101050
New Brunswick--0--5005--00----20
Quebec2702604605006508651,5404,7151,7151,3801,1151,33514,810
Ontario8909108757809609658451,4001,0009901,10074011,460
Manitoba151020202015103010352015220
Saskatchewan----10010105105--0--60
Alberta11055756075907513510013090901,080
British Columbia55405555559080125105959065910
Yukon0000000000000
Northwest Territories0000000000000
Nunavut0000000000000
Outside Canada0000000000000
Total - IRCC1,3451,2851,4951,4251,7702,0402,5706,4202,9452,6402,4252,26028,615

Please note that all values between 0 and 5 are shown as “--”. This is done to prevent individuals from being identified when data is compiled and compared to other publicly available statistics. All other values are rounded to the closest multiple of 5 for the same reason; as a result of rounding, data may not sum to the totals indicated.

Total Asylum Claimants processed by the CBSA and IRCC, January - December 2017
Provinces/TerritoriesJanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecTotal
Newfoundland and Labrador0--0050----------015
Prince Edward Island0000000000000
Nova Scotia----051055105--101065
New Brunswick--05200--5--0----550
Quebec7759451,3301,1301,0551,3153,1656,0302,4402,5452,1852,59025,510
Ontario1,5451,5551,5901,4751,6501,5601,4952,1401,7451,7051,6301,48019,570
Manitoba35160200185140901051158511065401,330
Saskatchewan----10101010510555--80
Alberta1308010085851201051601501451051201,385
British Columbia1301551901601701702203302852401851302,370
Yukon0000000000000
Northwest Territories0000000000000
Nunavut00000000--0--0--
Outside Canada0000000000000
Total - CBSA & IRCC2,6252,9003,4303,0703,1303,2705,1158,7954,7154,7554,1854,37550,375

Please note that all values between 0 and 5 are shown as “--”. This is done to prevent individuals from being identified when data is compiled and compared to other publicly available statistics. All other values are rounded to the closest multiple of 5 for the same reason; as a result of rounding, data may not sum to the totals indicated.

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