The number of asylum seekers in B.C. has nearly doubled in the past year, putting pressure on Vancouver’s emergency shelters, several of which are reporting large increases in refugee claimants staying in overnight beds.
According to the provincial government, there were 6,740 refugee claims made between January and November 2023 in B.C., a significant increase from the 3,895 claims made during those same months in 2022. Over half of the claims were made by people from Iran, Mexico, and Afghanistan.