Visa lift prompts rise in Romanians seeking asylum since December
OTTAWA — The removal of visa requirements for Romanian nationals has prompted a spike in asylum claims and a sit-down between the Canadian government and Romanian authorities in Ottawa.
Officials from the Immigration Department said Thursday that 232 Romanians have filed for asylum in Canada since the visa requirement was lifted on Dec. 1. By comparison, just 120 Romanians claimed asylum in Canada in all of 2016.
While visa requirements for Bulgarians were lifted simultaneously, asylum claims from them remain low, officials told the House of Commons immigration committee Thursday.
“It is challenging to know if that trend will continue or if it was a blip because the visa was quickly lifted,” Paul MacKinnon, assistant deputy minister for strategic and program policy, said of the Romanians.