Indian migrants seek illegal US entry via Canada to evade heavily guarded south

Analysts note that this northern route, lined with vast forests and unmarked paths, poses life-threatening risks, yet it hasn’t deterred those pursuing better opportunities in the US.

In 2023, nearly 97,000 encounters were reported by the CBP, with those along the northern border skyrocketing from around 2,200 in 2021 to more than 30,000 last year.

The number of Indians crossing via the northern border has surpassed those entering from the south, with 22,399 encounters reported on the northern border in the first six months of 2023 compared to 11,053 on the southern border.