Canada's Immigration Minister pushes for a digital exit tracking system for temporary residents

Immigration Minister Lena Diab has called for enhanced tracking capabilities to monitor temporary residents leaving Canada, as nearly 1.9 million temporary residents are set to have their visas expire this year. While the Canada Border Services Agency currently tracks departure details like transportation methods and travel documents, it lacks the ability to efficiently determine visa expiration status without manual, labour-intensive checks. Diab emphasized that many countries already employ such tracking systems and believes Canada should follow suit, using digital tools. This initiative comes as asylum claims from temporary visa holders surged in 2024, with over 112,000 applications filed compared to just 6,600 in 2020, prompting the government to introduce border security measures to restore public confidence in the immigration system.

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