Asylum claimants by year – 2021

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.

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 2021

RCMP Interceptions
ProvincesJanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSeptOctNovDecTotal
New Brunswick0000000000000
Quebec2839292912112863150968322,7784,095
Ontario0000000000000
Manitoba10523052001019
Saskatchewan0000000000000
Alberta0000000000000
British Columbia1012213661119171233132
Total - RCMP39403633281739761691138452,8114,246

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 2021 - December 2021

Air Ports of Entry
Provinces/TerritoriesJanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecTotal
Newfoundland and Labrador0000000000000
Prince Edward Island0000000000000
Nova Scotia000--00000000--
New Brunswick0000000000000
Quebec20151510151030451703704554701,630
Ontario45302040353530652553003304501,630
Manitoba0000000000000
Saskatchewan0000000000000
Alberta----00--0--0--10351060
British Columbia------0--1010510202050140
Yukon0000000000000
Northwest Territories0000000000000
Nunavut0000000000000
Total - Air Ports of Entry704535505555751204356958409853,460
Land Ports of Entry
Provinces/TerritoriesJanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecTotal
Newfoundland and Labrador0000000000000
Prince Edward Island0000000000000
Nova Scotia0000000000000
New Brunswick--000--0--050----15
Quebec9510065951001101402953703951,0002,8805,640
Ontario135115951101201351952855103753404402,850
Manitoba00--------5----------30
Saskatchewan0--0--0----00--005
Alberta--10255--1025101525405180
British Columbia151010202020154040353060320
Yukon0000000000000
Northwest Territories0000000000000
Nunavut0000000000000
Total - Land Ports of Entry2552351952302452803806309508351,4153,3909,040
Marine Ports of Entry
Provinces/TerritoriesJanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecTotal
Newfoundland and Labrador0000000000000
Prince Edward Island0000000000000
Nova Scotia0000000000000
New Brunswick0000000000000
Quebec--0----00--000----15
Ontario0000000000000
Manitoba0000000000000
Saskatchewan0000000000000
Alberta0000000000000
British Columbia0000500--00005
Yukon0000000000000
Northwest Territories0000000000000
Nunavut0000000000000
Total - Marine Ports of Entry--0----50----00----20
All Ports of Entry (Air, Land and Marine)
Provinces/TerritoriesJanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecTotal
Newfoundland and Labrador0000000000000
Prince Edward Island0000000000000
Nova Scotia000--00000000--
New Brunswick--000--0--050----15
Quebec120115801051151201753455407651,4553,3507,285
Ontario1801451151501501752203507656756708854,480
Manitoba00--------5----------30
Saskatchewan0--0--0----00--005
Alberta510255510251020307520240
British Columbia2010152030303045506050115465
Yukon0000000000000
Northwest Territories0000000000000
Nunavut0000000000000
Total - Ports of Entry3252852352853053354557501,3801,5302,2554,37512,520
Inland Offices
Provinces/TerritoriesJanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecTotal
Newfoundland and Labrador0000000000000
Prince Edward Island0000000000000
Nova Scotia0000000000000
New Brunswick000000000--00--
Quebec5------55--0555545
Ontario515101551015--10101015125
Manitoba00000000000----
Saskatchewan00000000--000--
Alberta0000000000000
British Columbia101010510101515510515115
Yukon0000000000000
Northwest Territories0000000000000
Nunavut0000000000000
Total - Inland Offices202525202020301525302535285
Summary of Asylum Claimants processed by the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA), January 2021 - December 2021
CBSA designated ports of entry/inland officesJanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecTotal
Air Ports of Entry704535505555751204356958409853,460
Land Ports of Entry2552351952302452803806309508351,4153,3909,040
Marine Ports of Entry--0----50----00----20
All Ports of Entry (Air, Land and Marine)3252852352853053354557501,3801,5302,2554,37512,520
Inland Offices202525202020301525302535285
Total - CBSA Land, Air and Marine port of entry and Inland Offices3453102553053253554857701,4051,5602,2804,41012,805

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 2021 - December 2021
Provinces/TerritoriesJanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecTotal
Newfoundland and Labrador--0--0----000----515
Prince Edward Island00--000--050--010
Nova Scotia----5------0--555--40
New Brunswick5----0----0--0------25
Quebec2102002701751951501551701902353354652,750
Ontario4354705404504704504504005606251,0901,1507,085
Manitoba--10--5555----5252095
Saskatchewan5----5----5--------030
Alberta6540656045304035358080105690
British Columbia12085110901051008070901201551851,320
Yukon0000000000000
Northwest Territories0000000000--0--
Nunavut0000000000000
Outside Canada0000000000000
Total - IRCC8458101,0008008257507406809001,0801,7001,93012,060

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 2021 - December 2021
Provinces/TerritoriesJanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecTotal
Newfoundland and Labrador--0--0----000----515
Prince Edward Island00--000--050--010
Nova Scotia----5------0--555--40
New Brunswick10----05------5------40
Quebec3353153502853152753305107401,0051,8003,82010,080
Ontario6256306656156256356857551,3351,3101,7702,05011,690
Manitoba--1051010510--5103025125
Saskatchewan5----5----5--5----040
Alberta705085705045654555115155125930
British Columbia1451051351151451401251301451902103101,895
Yukon0000000000000
Northwest Territories0000000000--0--
Nunavut0000000000000
Outside Canada0000000000000
Total - CBSA & IRCC1,1951,1201,2551,1001,1501,1051,2251,4502,3052,6403,9806,34024,865

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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