Haitian nationals stripped of Temporary Protected Status (TPS) in the United States are embarking on 1,400-kilometre journeys to the Quebec border, hoping to claim refuge in Canada before U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement can detain them. A long-form report published on September 21 by The Atlantic follows several families who paid drivers up to US$700 to reach informal crossings after the U.S. Supreme Court upheld President Trump’s cancellation of TPS last month. Canada’s border has hardened since the Roxham Road surge of 2023: asylum seekers intercepted within 14 days of irregular entry are now ineligible under amendments to the Safe Third Country Agreement. Yet loopholes remain. Claimants who elude detection for two weeks, or those with close relatives in Canada, can still file refugee applications and obtain work permits, a fact increasingly shared in Haitian diaspora chat groups. The Royal Canadian Mounted Police recorded 133 ineligible asylum seekers returned to U.S. custody in August—the highest monthly total this year—and border officials expect September’s tally to climb as U.S. removals ramp up. Montreal’s Haitian community groups say shelters are near capacity and are urging Ottawa to issue targeted humanitarian work permits similar to those created for Venezuelans in 2025. For employers, the immediate impact is indirect but real: asylum claimants who do clear the eligibility hurdle cannot work legally until they receive an open work permit—now averaging 7–9 weeks. Industries already facing acute labour shortages, notably food processing and home care, may see surges in applicants later this fall. Mobility teams should prepare internal vetting processes to onboard refugees quickly once authorised, while remaining vigilant about compliance with new ID requirements implemented under Bill C-12.
Source: The Atlantic
