175 World Cup visitors apply for asylum in Canada, officials say

OTTAWA: A total of 175 foreign nationals who traveled to Canada to attend FIFA World Cup matches have applied for asylum, according to Canadian authorities.

Canada hosted 13 World Cup matches and issued approximately 26,000 visitor visas for the tournament. Officials said more than half of all visa applications received for the event were rejected.

Authorities said the 175 asylum claims will be assessed individually under Canada’s immigration and refugee laws. They did not disclose how many of the applicants, if any, were football players or members of official delegations.

Available government data showed that 25 applicants are Ghanaian nationals, while 15 each are from Egypt and Colombia. Officials added that the number of asylum applications could increase as more claims are submitted.

Before the tournament, the Canadian government warned that visitor visas issued for the FIFA World Cup could not be used as a pathway to permanent residence or guaranteed asylum. It said all protection claims would be evaluated solely in accordance with Canadian law.