加拿大减批签证　每月被拒入境者逾3,700　创5年新高

路透社9月4日独家报道，路透社取阅得到加拿大政府文件称，该国在以减少批出签证、减少访客及临时居民在境内逗留，并在海关拒绝更多人入境。

报道指，加拿大或在2025年10月举行大选，而外来移民被指是导致国内房屋供应短缺以及楼价高企的原因，所以特鲁多政府大打“反移民牌”。

路透社根据尚未被报道过的加拿大边境管理部门数据，该国7月拒绝5,853名外国旅客入境，其中包括学生、工人和游客；这至少是2019年1月以来人数最多。

海关官员在2024年首7个月平均每月拒绝3,727人入境，较2023年同期增加633人、升幅20%。另外，数据显示，7月有285名签证持有人被官员拒绝入境，这也比2019年任何一个月都多。

加拿大签发的学生和工作签证数量，也分别自2023年和2022年的多年高位下降。

A Canada Border Services Agency spokesperson said changes in

findings of inadmissibility can be caused by migration patterns

or policy changes and are decided case by case. CBSA did not

identify any specific policy changes.

"The CBSA's role, policy, and practice has always been to

assess the admissibility of persons coming to Canada. This has

not changed," the spokesperson said.

At the same time, Canada's immigration department is

approving fewer visas.

The ratio of refused visitor visa applications to approved

ones was higher in June than at any point since the height of

the pandemic. In January, February, May and June 2024, more

applications were refused than approved, according to

immigration department data.

The number of approved study and work permits also dropped

from multi-year highs in 2023 and 2022, respectively.

"Canadians want a system that is not out of control,"

Immigration Minister Marc Miller said in August.

Miller's spokesperson said the immigration department was

"committed to a fair and non-discriminatory application of

immigration policy and procedures" and attributed the drop in

study-permit approvals to a cap announced in January. The

decline appears to have begun last year, however.

Eight lawyers told Reuters they have heard from clients of

greater scrutiny of visa-holders at airports and land border

crossings.

British Columbia lawyer Will Tao said he has represented

half a dozen visa-holders who border officials disbelieved about

the nature of their plans in Canada and suggested they turn back

voluntarily or risk deportation. Some did so, not knowing the

implications this could have for their visa or travel

authorization, including potential cancellation.

Tao sees increased border officer skepticism stemming from a

"180-degree" attitude shift on immigration from the

government.

The idea that foreigners are entering Canada without meeting

requirements, or are causing the country harm, is trickling down

from politicians to front-line officials, he added.

'YOUR TEMPORARY RESIDENT VISA IS NO LONGER VALID'

Mohammed Kamil Shaibu was paged while waiting to board a

connecting flight from Paris to Toronto last September on his

way to a conference in Edmonton.

The Ghanaian was told a Canadian immigration officer wanted

to talk to him. He was then quizzed over the phone about his

employment, the purpose of his trip and any assistance he had

received in filing his tourist visa application.

"I had trouble answering," he said in an interview. "I was

so terrified. I don't even know what I said."

Shaibu was told he would not be going to Canada. Instead, he

was asked to return to Accra.

"Your temporary-resident visa is no longer valid for travel

to Canada," reads an email reviewed by Reuters that Shaibu

received that day from the immigration department.

Canada should not grant visas it does not plan to honor,

said University of Calgary assistant law professor Gideon

Christian.

"Why accept people if, when they come, you're not going to

admit them?"

Shaibu says his experience has not soured him on Canada.

"I know Canada is a very nice place made up of very nice and

accommodating and hospitable people."

He says he may even try again to visit one day.

(Reporting by Anna Mehler Paperny; Editing by Caroline Stauffer

and Rod Nickel)