Applications from American citizens registering for refugee status in Canada have spiked since Donald Trump’s return to office, with more filed in the first half of 2025 than in all of last year.
Data released by Canada’s Immigration and Refugee Board last week on claims of alleged persecution by the country revealed that there were 245 refugee applications made by U.S. citizens in the first six months of this year. It marks a stark uptick in claims, with 204 referrals filed by Americans in the whole of 2024. The number of U.S. citizens applying for refugee status in Canada this year surpassed full-year figures since 2019.
