Canada’s Haitian diaspora prepares to welcome new wave of asylum seekers

MONTREAL— As a growing number of Haitians seek refuge in Canada amid fear of deportation by the Trump administration, the immigrant community in Montréal is preparing to respond. Community leaders, activists and elected officials—gathered from April 11 to 13 for the International Haitian Diaspora Days (JIDH, per its French acronym) summit— discussed the rising number of Haitian asylum seekers at Canada’s southern border and explored ways to offer coordinated support.

The summit took place as new data from the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) revealed a 226% increase in asylum claims at the Saint-Bernard-de-Lacolle border crossing— a port of entry in Quebec’s southern border with U.S. states of Maine, New Hampshire, New York and Vermont— during the first two weeks of April, compared to the same period last year. According to CBSA spokesperson Jacqueline Roby, more than 1,400 individuals—most of them Haitians—sought asylum as of April 13, up from just 319 during the same period in 2024. Complete figures for the first quarter of this year are not available yet.

Canadian authorities anticipate a significant increase in asylum applications from Haitians by the end of this year, surpassing the approximately 21,800 applications received last year, according to Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada (IRBC) data.

This surge follows the Trump administration’s termination of the U.S. humanitarian parole program for Haitian, Cuban, Nicaraguan and Venezuelan (CHNV) nationals and the looming expiration of Temporary Protected Status (TPS) protections for over 500,000 Haitians in the U.S. by August 3, 2025. With limited legal pathways in the U.S., many are now turning to Canada for refuge.

Montreal’s Haitian community is actively mobilizing to support the rising number of asylum seekers at Canada’s southern border. Leaders and organizations are coordinating housing, legal aid, language classes, employment services, and integration support. Their efforts reflect a strong sense of solidarity as they prepare to help fellow Haitians navigate the asylum process and build new lives in Canada.

“Trump wants them to leave the country [U.S.]. Many of them will try to come to Canada,” said Pierre-Gérald Jean, co-founder of the JIDH. “As a community, we are responsible for thinking together about how we will welcome those people here.”

Community support: More than charity, a shared responsibility

Jean emphasized that the Haitian diaspora in Canada must not rely solely on federal or provincial governments to address this migration wave.

“We’re not just going to ask the Canadian or Quebec government what they can do. We also need to figure out what we can do as a community,” he said. “Haitians have contributed greatly to Quebec and Canada. Now it’s our turn to support those arriving from Haiti.”

In parallel, a petition launched by Haitian-born professor and poet Barthélémy Bolivar is circulating on Change.org, urging Canada to admit 30,000 Haitian asylum seekers—20,000 from the U.S. humanitarian parole program and another 10,000 whose TPS protections are set to end.

“Canada welcomed 44,000 Syrian refugees and more than 100,000 Ukrainians,” the petition reads. “With Haiti now experiencing more daily casualties than Ukraine, we urge the government to act decisively.”

The petition calls for Canada to expand sponsorship eligibility beyond close relatives to include friends and community members, a measure advocates say would reflect the country’s values of humanitarian leadership and solidarity.

“[Former] President Biden’s humanitarian policy had allowed thousands of Haitians to escape this hell on earth [rampant gang violence in Haiti],”the petition reads. “However, the Trump-Vance administration plans to revoke these programs starting April 25, 2025, rendering these migrants illegal and imposing a $998 daily fine for each additional day spent in the U.S. In light of this imminent threat, we urge Canada to welcome 20,000 migrants from the U.S. humanitarian parole program and 10,000 refugees under Temporary Protected Status (TPS), whose immigration program will be canceled as of August 2025.”

The petitioner urges Canada to allow entry for individuals beyond family ties. Professor Bolivar calls on the Canadian government to implement broader measures to enable friends and volunteer supporters to assist Haitians in need.

Organizing from within: Montréal’s Haitian institutions take the lead

Montréal, home to Canada’s largest Haitian population, has long been a hub for Haitian culture and advocacy. Organizations like La Maison d’Haïti, established in 1972, and Le Bureau de la communauté haïtienne de Montréal, a family support and integration center, are coordinating efforts to welcome newcomers.

“People in the diaspora are supporting Haiti every day—step by step, little by little,” said Guerline Frédéric, head of the Haitian consulate in Montréal. “They are the pillars of change. It’s not just about sending money. They are the human resources and the brainpower that Haiti will need to rebuild.”

Frédéric emphasized that the diaspora must see itself not merely as financial providers but as full participants in Haiti’s future.

“They have the right to help shape the Haiti of their dreams,” she added.

The 2025 JIDH was both a forum for urgent dialogue and a celebration of diaspora resilience. Held under the theme “Haiti, toward a new beginning,” the three-day summit concluded with a Gala recognizing Haitian community builders across Canada.

“We win by celebrating our allegiance to the same diaspora and who we are,” said Frantz Benjamin, representative of Quebec Liberal for the Viau district and third Vice-President of the National Assembly.

Honorees included the Bureau de la Communauté Haïtienne de Montréal (BCHM), now celebrating its 50th anniversary; La Perle Retrouvée, the city’s first Haitian cultural center; and tributes to late Haitian writer and artist Frankétienne. Awards were also presented to Haitian actor Jimmy Jean-Louis, essayist Jimmy Jean, and the hit TV series Lakay Nou, Creole for Our Home, which airs on Radio-Canada.

As U.S. immigration policy changes take effect and Haiti’s instability exacerbated by extreme gang violence deepens, the Haitian Diaspora in Canada is bracing for a continued influx of asylum seekers. But through grassroots organizing, institutional advocacy and cultural pride, community leaders say they are ready to meet the challenge.

“Another Haiti is possible—but only if we stand together,” Jean said. “Now is the time to show what the diaspora is truly made of.”

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