82,000 rejected asylum claimants still in Canada, with nearly 30,000 unable to be located
Claimants from Mexico, India, China and even the United States are in legal limbo as their applications remain in Canada's rejected asylum inventory, a response to an order paper question revealed.
The federal government says there are currently 82,853 rejected asylum claimants still physically present in Canada, according to a newly released order paper response tabled in Parliament by Conservative MP Brad Redekopp.
The figures include individuals whose claims were rejected, withdrawn or abandoned, along with those whose removals are delayed by legal proceedings or administrative barriers.
Of those 82,853 rejected claimants, government records show 50,979 are currently under enforceable removal orders. That category includes 34,013 departure orders, 246 exclusion orders and 16,720 deportation orders.
Deportation orders permanently bar an individual from returning to Canada unless written authorization is granted by immigration authorities.
The response also shows 17,214 individuals are under stayed removal orders, while another 14,660 have removal orders that are not yet enforceable.
One of the most striking figures appears in CBSA's internal removal inventories.
The agency says 27,633 rejected claimants are currently listed in its “wanted inventory,” a category used for individuals subject to enforceable removal orders who failed to appear for proceedings and whom authorities are attempting to locate.
Another 23,346 are listed as being in “removal in progress.”
The government's own breakdown also reveals where many rejected claims originated. Mexico leads the list with 13,953 rejected claimants still remaining in Canada, followed closely by India at 13,150.
China accounted for 5,037, Nigeria for 3,556, Pakistan for 2,735, the Democratic Republic of Congo for 2,972, and Haiti for 7,319. Government figures also show 787 rejected asylum claimants from the United States still remain in Canada.
The government also detailed why many removals remain stalled.
Officials cited 6,029 cases involving administrative deferrals, 5,144 cases where travel documents could not be obtained, 4,720 cases awaiting Federal Court judicial review or court-ordered stays, and 2,710 pending pre-removal risk assessments.
Meanwhile, the largest category by far was “inability to locate the individual,” accounting for 27,633 cases.
The figures were released in response to order paper question Q-1003, which requested a detailed breakdown of Canada's asylum inventory and removal system.
Sheila Gunn Reid
Chief Reporter
Sheila Gunn Reid is the Editor-in-Chief, Alberta Bureau Chief, member of the board of directors, and host of The Gunn Show at Rebel News. Sheila also serves as President of the Independent Press Gallery of Canada. A mother of three and longtime conservative activist, Sheila is the author of bestselling books, including her most recent release, Independence Blueprint: What Alberta Can Learn From Quebec.
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COMMENTS
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Bernhard Jatzeck commented 2026-05-26 15:30:27 -0400Why is this surprising when we have a federal government that can’t keep track of where much of its money goes?
