175 World Cup Visitors Seek Asylum in Canada, Including 10 Bangladeshis

At least 175 visitors from different countries who traveled to Canada to watch the recently concluded FIFA World Cup have applied for political asylum, according to new data released by Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC). Among the applicants are 10 Bangladeshi nationals.

Canada hosted 13 FIFA World Cup matches in Toronto and Vancouver during June and July. To facilitate attendance at the tournament, the Canadian government issued visas to nearly 26,000 visitors from around the world.

IRCC did not specify whether any players or members of participating teams' staff were among those who sought asylum. However, officials indicated that the number of people remaining in Canada after their visas expire could increase in the coming months.

According to the statistics, Ghanaian nationals submitted the highest number of asylum claims, with at least 25 applications from visitors who entered Canada on temporary visas. They were followed by Egypt and Colombia, with 15 applicants each. Senegal recorded 10 applicants, while Ecuador had five.

The data also show that asylum applications came from countries whose national teams did not qualify for the tournament. These include 15 applicants from Kenya; 10 each from China, Bangladesh, and Nigeria; and five each from Burundi, Nepal, and Pakistan.

IRCC said that, as of July 20, a total of 175 asylum claims had been filed by individuals who had received temporary resident authorization related to the FIFA World Cup. Overall, 26,111 people were granted such authorization for the tournament.

Concerns over athletes or visitors seeking asylum during international sporting events are not new. In a previous instance, Eritrea withdrew its men's national football team from a World Cup qualifying campaign amid fears that players might defect and seek political asylum abroad.