Olympics draw refugees

Getty Images viewers see the closing ceremonies of the Olympic Games in Vancouver.

A curious by-product has Olympic Winter Games in Vancouver had: refugees. Canada received so far seven asylum applications from foreign Olympic viewers - including two from Japan, one from Russia and four from Hungary. If signs are latest trends, this figure could increase.

The flood of asylum seekers underlines Canada's reputation as just ask place to refuge: almost everyone can do it, as long as you have entered the country and have been identified as an international security risk.

The ease urged an increase of asylum applications in recent years, from a list of countries include Mexico, Hungary and the Czech Republic. Canada received almost 34,000 applications for asylum in the past year, according to the immigration and Refugee Board. Some 61,000 such applications were pending until end of December, the highest ever under the current system.

Asylum seekers as the United Nations, which means they fear persecution followed at home based on factors such as race, religion, politics or membership in a generally apply the standard definition of a refugee laid out group, often gays or lesbians.

Those who cannot prove are really in danger of persecution were sent - as approximately 60% of applications home in recent years. But applicants are allowed to remain in Canada, with full benefits until you a hearing could take years.

Minister for immigration Jason Kenney on a Canadian politics TV show on Tuesday said: "It is a pretty obvious signal to people join, can make a request, receive social services, to obtain a work permit, sometimes for years stay and try to get permanent residency." "

Canada by attempts to stop the onslaught, which makes it more difficult for citizens the top refugee producers to get. In July, citizenship and Immigration Canada began visa for travellers from Mexico need global custodian in the past year with 9,296 asylum applications. (It has a 9% acceptance rate.) Mexico proposed requirement on Canadian diplomats and officials in return.

In the same month protection Canada a visa requirement on then no. 2 rank Czech Republic noting that almost 3,000 of asylum applications had been filed by Czech nationals in around two years during the visa required been.

International sporting events are magnets for asylum applications. Canada received the 1999 Pan American Games in Winnipeg and 1,592 play from the 2001 francophone in Ottawa and Gatineau, Quebec, 1,390 claims associated with said Johanne Nadeau, a spokeswoman for citizenship and Immigration Canada.

Write toPhred Dvorak at phred.dvorak@wsj.com

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