1. Irregular Migration to Canada Trends 2004-2005 Guatemala City – October 2005

2. Irregular Migration Overview 2005
Overall decline in refugee claims
Numbers of improperly-documented arrivals reaching Canada at an all time low
Targeting of visa-exempt passports
Fraudulent use of Canadian documents
Fraud against Canadian visa processes
Escorts/facilitators identified are overwhelmingly Canadian

3. Number of Refugee Claims (in thousands) 1986-2004

4. Distribution of Refugee Claims 2002 - 2005
2003
2004
2005
(9 months)
Total
Claims
33,452
31,893
25,514
13906
Inland
56%
53%
52%
62%
Border
32%
34%
35%
21%
Airport
12%
13%
17%
2005: expected to reach about 18,500 (inland: 11,500; land 3,900, airport 3,100)
Source: FOSS

5. Refugee Claims by Nationality 2004
Top Ten: 13,906 or 55% of
total claims: 25,514
Source: FOSS

6. Refugee Claims by Nationality 2005 (first 9 months)
Colombia border movement, will change in 2005 with safe third agreement
Pakistan 2003 peak caused by the registration requirement deadline in USA
Costa Rica: visa was imposed in May 2004
Source: FOSS

7. Refugee Claims at USA Border 2004
Colombia represents 40% of the 8,890 refugee claims at the land border in 2004.
Source: FOSS

8. Refugee Claims at USA Border 2005 (first 9 months)
Colombia represents 24% of the 2,900 refugee claims at the land border in 2005 (first 9 months).
Source: FOSS

9. IDAs and Interceptions to Canada 1990-2005
IDAs: Improperly Documented Arrivals at Canadian airports
2005 figures are projections. Canada ranks 6th as a 2005 country of choice for refugee claimants among the 36 western receiving countries reporting to UNHCR.
# of IDAs at its lowest since stats first recorded in 1989
Less than 6 IDAs/day now arriving at all Canada’s international airports
73% of improperly-documented travellers by air are projected to be intercepted abroad in 2005
Source: SSI
2005: 2,150 5,700 (projections)

10. Top 10 Nationalities - Inadpax 2004
Total: 8,094
Source: SSI

11. Interceptions Abroad Top 10 Passports Intercepted Abroad Canada (480)
India (219)
China PRC (169)
UK (155)
Iran (145)
France (121)
Greece (118)
Pakistan (90)
The Netherlands (86)
South Africa (81)
Only 5 of these passports were visa exempt
Canadian passports increasingly targeted
13% Canadian passports

12. INADPAX Nationality 2005 (first 9 months)
Source: SSI

13. Interceptions by Nationality 2004-2005 (first 9 months)
Source: SSI

14. Top 10 Passports Used by INADPAX 2004
Total: 7,482
Source: SSI

15. Passports Used by Chinese INADPAX 2004
Top ten: 1,171
Total: 1,214
Source: SSI

16. Principal Routes Used by Nationals of China
Vancouver
London
Toronto
Montreal
Paris
Beijing
Tokyo
Seoul
Shanghai
Most frequent LEP is HK. They enter HK most often from Guangzhou and Fuzhou.
Second most important LEP is Seoul. They get to Seoul most often via, Shenyang(PRC), Bangkok and Kuala Lumpur
Third most frequent route is directly from Beijing to Vancouver.
In 4th position comes Tokyo where they arrived mostly from HK, Bangkok and Seoul.
They also use the direct flights from Shanghai to Vancouver.
Lesser movement through London and Paris (128 cases). No specific routes identified from PRC to Europe , a wide variety of routes were used.
Other route worth mentioning Sao Paolo to Toronto. Method of entrance in Brazil unknown in most cases.
Dubai
Hong Kong
Bangkok
Singapore
Sao Paulo

17. Passports Used by Sri Lankan INADPAX 2004
Top ten: 617
Total: 647
Source: SSI

18. Principal Routes Used by Nationals of Sri Lanka
Vancouver
London
Toronto
Montreal
Paris
Zurich
Tokyo
Seoul
The number 1 Last Embarkation Point for Sri Lankans is Paris followed closely by London.
They arrive in Paris and London by a wide variety of routes with Kuala Lumpur and Bahrein being the most popular transit points.
An interesting LEP for Sri Lankans is Zurich with flights going to Montreal and Toronto. The majority of INADPAX going through Zurich transited in other airports in Europe before reaching Switzerland.
The majority of Sri Lankans using the trans-Pacific routes (roughly 30% of total) are leaving from Tokyo, Seoul and HK with Bangkok, Singapore and KL as favorites transit points.
Bahrain
Hong Kong
Colombo
Kuala Lumpur

19. Top 10 Passports Used by Albanian INADPAX 2004
Top ten: 381
Total: 408
Source: SSI

20. Principal Routes Used by Nationals of Albania
Vancouver
Montreal
London
Amsterdam
Toronto
Frankfurt
Paris
Cancun
Mexico
The principals LEP used by Albanians are by order Paris, London, Amsterdam and Frankfurt with direct flights to Toronto or Montreal.
There is another significant movement of Albanians going to Canada from Western Europe via the Caribbean Islands and Mexico. From that region, the LEP most often used in 2004 were Cancun, Antigua, Punta Cana (Dom. Rep.), Havana and Mexico City.
Caribbean Islands

21. IDAs Last Embarkation Points 2004 / 2005 (first 9 months)
1- London
243
188
2- Paris
179
185
3- Amsterdam
147 88
4- Frankfurt 67
4- Hong Kong 54
5- Hong Kong 66
5- Mexico 46
6- Puerto Plata 59
6- Frankfurt 37
7- Beijing 53
7- Havana
8- Moscow 52
8- New Delhi
9- Taipei 51 36
10- Zurich 50
10- Port of Spain 31
Majority of improperly documented travelers seek to access Canada through Europe
Controls at European airports = increased numbers of irregular migrants attempt to access Canada from the Americas
Increase in the use of European hubs (instead of LEP): Paris (2nd), Madrid (5th), Amsterdam (12th), Athens and Rome (tied at 13th ); Kiev (17th ), London (18th), Moscow (19th), Zagreb (20th).
Totals 2004:
London Puerto Plata 65
Paris Beijing 71
Amsterdam Moscow 55
Frankfurt Taipei 55
Hong Kong Zurich 62

22. Temporary Resident Visas: Nature of fraud 2004
Impact on fraud at visa offices
Compared with figures for Canadian passport: photosub 66%; impostors 18%; counterfeit biopages 6%; unauthorized additions 5%; others 5%
Source: SSI

23. Human Smuggling/Trafficking
Secretive nature of migrant smuggling and trafficking = unreliable figures
Female escorts or facilitators are identified in 17% of intercepted cases in Canada
Canadian escorts and facilitators are identified in 32.7% of intercepted cases in Canada

24. Profile of smugglers
Lower-Level Smugglers (escorts)
Financial problems, gambling debts, loan sharks, failing businesses forcing them to get involved
Helping out friends or relatives
Any age
Any social background
Smuggling Groups
Each member is an independent “businessman” with specialities in recruitment, document fraud, travel logistics, safe houses or finances
Only exist for a short period of time

25. Canada’s Response
Anti-Fraud Units, Migration Integrity Officers, IBETs
API/PNR data – identification of high risk travellers and goods
Temporary passports starting October 31, 2005
Biometric passports starting in the summer of 2006
Revocation of passport for individuals identified as providing assistance to others to travel improperly to Canada
Prosecution of smugglers and traffickers
Anti-fraud Units – fraudulent documentation or misrepresentation targeting the immigration programs
MIOs - key component of the “multiple borders strategy”: “push the borders out” and identify irregular migrants at the earliest point in the travel continuum
NRAC – 24/7 operations center – assist in the identification of high-risk travellers and goods
IBET - – detect and apprehend individuals who commit illegal activities at the border
Passports initially issued to frequent flyers in 2006
Rapid growth in human trafficking may lead to significant increases in other related criminal activities (money laundering, kidnapping, extortion, document forgery)