Sharp dip in Indians illegally entering US

This comes in the wake of Canada's claims that Indians were the largest cohort of illegal entries into the US

- Anirudh Bhattacharyya

TORONTO: Canada has said that it has taken action to significantly decrease the illegal immigration of Indian nationals to the United States.

Responding to queries from the Hindustan Times, a spokesperson for Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) said, in an email, "Indian nationals were the largest cohort of illegal entries into the US, and that number has also decreased significantly thanks to our quick action.

"As soon as we learned of this abuse of our system, including the impact to our shared border with the US, we took action. Our swift actions have resulted in an 84% decrease in illegal crossings into the US from Canadian permit/visa holders since June 2024. They have also resulted in 61% more refusals for countries in which we have been noting the highest levels of abuse," he added.

According to the latest data of encounters at the northern border from the US Customs and Border Patrol, in October and November last year, the total stood at 27,610, including 7,113 Indian nationals or over 25% of the total.