Foreign nationals seek asylum in Canada following world cup

A total of 175 foreign visitors who travelled to Canada during the FIFA World Cup have formally requested asylum, triggering legal reviews under the country’s refugee protection laws.

Canada issued approximately 26,000 visas for the tournament, which saw 13 matches staged across Toronto and Vancouver. While thousands of football fans globally applied for visitor visas to attend the fixtures, strict screening measures resulted in over 50 per cent of those applications being rejected.

Immigration officials have not disclosed whether any athletes or team members are among the claimants. However, initial breakdown data indicates that 25 applicants are citizens of Ghana, while Egypt and Colombia account for 15 claims each, with total figures expected to climb further.

Canadian authorities had issued warnings prior to the tournament clarifying that temporary visas obtained for the World Cup would not serve as an avenue to bypass immigration standards, remain beyond authorised stays or claim political asylum.