Canada sees surge in border crossings and growing strain on services

Canada is facing mounting pressure on its immigration and social support systems as asylum claims surge alongside high numbers of temporary residents and those without valid permits.

Border crossings into Quebec have jumped sharply this summer, with thousands of people arriving from the United States following immigration raids there. Under the Canada–U.S. Safe Third Country Agreement, people who are already in the United States are not eligible to make an asylum claim in Canada. Their entry raises questions about legality on both sides of the border.

The increase comes as Canada is already dealing with a backlog of nearly 280,000 asylum claims. Shelters, housing programs, and food banks report being under strain, while taxpayer costs for asylum-seeker health coverage have soared.

Federal spending on the Interim Federal Health Program has climbed from $66 million in 2016-17 to a projected $821 million in 2025-26, an increase of more than 1,100 per cent. The program covers services that include pharmaceuticals, vision care, counselling, assistive devices, prosthetics, home care, nursing homes, physiotherapy, and occupational or speech therapy.

Temporary residents and expired permits in 2025

• As of January 1, there were about 3,049,277 temporary residents in Canada, including workers, students, and asylum claimants.

• Of these, 1,462,893 held work permits, 643,879 held study permits, and 347,268 held both.

• Another 129,653 people were in the country with expired permits and are considered without valid status.

• Between January and June, about 105,000 permits were issued or renewed under the Temporary Foreign Worker Program and the International Mobility Program, with roughly 33,700 of those being new entries under the TFWP.

  
  

The influx of asylum seekers, combined with a large non-permanent resident population and thousands of expired permits, adds new pressure to Canada’s housing market, food security programs, and health services. Critics warn that the burden is being felt most acutely by Canadian seniors and families already struggling with long wait times for care, young Canadians looking for work and the continued limited access to affordable housing.