Amnesty International is calling on Canada to take in illegal immigrants fleeing the United States, citing humanitarian concerns as the US continues with its mass deportation efforts.
"We are calling on Canada to be a leader in the international global system, the multilateral system," said Agnès Callamard, secretary general of Amnesty International. "That includes, of course, the Refugee Convention."
Blacklock’s Reporter says that Callamard argued the convention prohibits returning individuals to situations that threaten their lives, with the implication being that the US is not a safe place for an illegal immigrant to be. President Donald Trump and Vice President JD Vance have pledged to deport millions of illegal immigrants from the country.
A 2004 treaty between Canada and the US upheld by the Supreme Court in 2023, gives both countries the right to reject asylum claims made at official border crossings, a policy intended to stop so-called “asylum shopping," per Rebel News.
Despite Amnesty’s push, the Canadian government has taken a firm stance on illegal migration. On January 15, then-Immigration Minister Marc Miller said, “Those folks are not welcome to Canada if they are doing so in an irregular fashion.” Miller had previously downplayed the scale of illegal immigration. "This is about sustaining Canada," he said. "That is not doable without people coming in from abroad."
Data from the Parliamentary Budget Office shows that each undocumented illegal immigrant costs the federal government an average of $14,321, with that figure potentially increasing to $33,700 due to administrative delays. In 2023, housing and basic services for illegal immigrants cost taxpayers $769 million, based on testimony presented to the Senate National Finance Committee. Local government and charity expenses have not been officially tallied.
The NDP stood alone in accepting illegal immigrants facing deportation from the US during the federal election. On January 22, outgoing party leader Jagmeet Singh said he sympathized with illegals “feeling alone and afraid” following Trump’s rhetoric.
The RCMP has flagged risks posed by organized crime exploiting migration channels. Authorities warned in 2023 that Mexican criminal groups, including the Sinaloa cartel and Jalisco New Generation cartel, are active in smuggling operations. Radio-Canada obtained a Canada Border Services Agency report confirming that cartel networks are trafficking people, firearms, and narcotics across the US-Canada border.
A 2024 report from the US Department of Homeland Security estimated that 10.99 million illegal immigrants currently reside in the US, with Mexico as the most common country of origin. Border states such as New York and Washington are home to about 750,000 of them—410,000 in New York and 340,000 in Washington.
Canada is estimated to have 500,000 undocumented migrants, according to an April 2024 government briefing note. However, the true number remains uncertain. Despite the closure of Roxham Road, illegal entries continue—mostly through Quebec, but also through Ontario, Manitoba, and British Columbia.
