Many now come by air, while others sneak across the border and hide until they can apply for asylum without fear of being sent back. The numbers show how hard it is to shut the door on desperate people.

Canada prides itself on welcoming immigrants and aims to bring in a record half a million new permanent residents in 2025 to deal with an acute labor shortage. But it has sought to discourage those applying for asylum, chiefly through an agreement with the U.S. under which each country turns back asylum seekers.

Still, last year alone, more than 39,000 asylum seekers entered Canada via unofficial crossings - mostly into Quebec via a dirt path off Roxham Road in New York, prompting the province to complain it could not handle the arrivals. Asylum seekers are drawn by Canada’s reputation for swifter processing and greater acceptance of asylum applications compared to the U.S.