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Canada is a country with long international borders and is considered an open country for immigrants. Although there are many programs by Canadian immigration for legal entry into Canada, there are still some who entered the country through illegal ways.

All countries have borders that they share with other countries. It seems easy to cross the border geographically. However, it's illegal to do so practically without permission. In many countries, it is a criminal offence, and the government takes strong actions against those who do that. 

Illegal Immigration Problem in Canada: With open immigration policies, it seems that Canada doesn’t face the problem of illegal immigration. However, this is not the case. Illegal immigration is getting a problem for Canadian immigration.

Canada has been facing the problem of illegal immigration since the late 2000s. The estimated illegal immigration population in 2008 is considered 41,000, which is just an estimation. The number given here is significantly lower; the actual number could be more than this.

This population started to increase afterwards. It has been noticed that more and more illegal immigrants have been entering Canada from 2016 onwards. A Canadian magazine has published an article about illegal immigrants stating that Canada has dealt with 156,155 illegal immigrants from 2016 to 2019. This will continue to increase in the coming years. 

According to some sources, the current number of illegal immigrants has reached 200,000 or more in the present time.

Impact of Illegal Immigrants on Canada: A usually asked question in this regard is: what is the impact of Illegal immigrants on Canada?

You can understand this in terms of the more illegal immigrants, the more Canadian resources will be consumed. 

If you don’t keep the incoming people in the country in check, then you will not be able to control the consumption of resources which they will not pay for. This will increase the expense on the legally staying people.

Canada, being a welcoming country, always welcomes its immigrants. The people are friendly and help you. However, illegal immigrants are viewed as having a negative impact on Canada’s economy. 

Illegal immigrants live and use the country’s resources as permanent residents or Canadian citizens, which is unfair to them. They went through proper legal means to obtain their residency status and earn their rights, but these illegal immigrants seem to enjoy them without hassle.

This is considered to have a negative effect on the Canadian economy.

Who is considered an Illegal immigrant:  The person who entered Canada without permission is considered an Illegal immigrant. Illegal immigrants mainly cross the Canadian Border by walking. 

The illegal immigrants are mostly from Asian Countries. There are also immigrants from Africa and the Caribbean. In other words, people from different nationalities and countries. 

Most of these immigrants arrive through North America side. They continue their way through the United States and cross the Canadian border on foot.

Walking is not only the way to cross the Canadian border; many people use boats too.

However, the immigrants who walk into the Country are not only illegal immigrants; the people who overstay their visa terms are also considered illegal immigrants.

The overstaying may include different visa types such as visitor visa, post-graduate visa and study visa. Temporary workers are also included in this. Not all, but some overstayed their permitted period of stay. 

So this gives the two types of illegal immigrants: One with overstay and Second with crossing the border without permission. 

But a person could choose one of these options if they are tagged as an Illegal immigrant. These are: 

• Restoration of Status
• Temporary Resident Permit
• Permanent Resident Applications

What to do in case of an Illegal immigrant: What steps will you take if you come in contact with an illegal immigrant?

Here are some steps which you can take in such cases. 

1. Report the person if they don’t have any documents related to their travel in Canada.
2. If a person behaves in a suspected manner, report that person. The person may or may not be an illegal immigrant, but it's safe to report the suspected person.
3. illegal immigrants can be reported to the Canadian Border Service Agency (CSBA).
4. You can report the suspected person through the phone number provided by CSBA. 
5. It's a tip line, and the identity of the reporter is kept secret.

Illegal immigration is a problem for Canada. Illegal immigrants enjoy the privileges of permanent residents and citizens of Canada and are seen as having a negative impact on the Canadian economy. They cost the Canadian government their resources and manpower. 

So it's better to report any illegal immigrant and become a responsible permanent resident or Canadian citizen.

Summary:

1. Canada is considered an open-border country.
2. It's a country with long international borders.
3. Many people cross the Canadian border without permission.
4. Many people overstay their intended visa duration.
5. Illegal immigrants have a negative impact on Canada.
6. Become a responsible citizen and report illegal immigrants. 

Check out our Web story at https://celpip.biz/web-stories/illegal-immigration-to-canada/