Canada is on track to receive its highest number of refugee claims since record-keeping began nearly three decades ago, the latest data shows, as the government’s handling of immigration comes under scrutiny ahead of next year’s federal election. Despite cooler weather, the number of refugee claimants jumped past 6,000 in October, the highest monthly tally this year, the data released on Thursday showed. That takes total claims in the first 10 months of 2018 to 46,245, putting the country on track to surpass last year’s record even as the quasi-judicial body that adjudicates claims struggles to work through a 64,000-person backlog. The Immigration and Refugee Board started tracking refugee claimant data in 1989. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s government faces a widely held belief that Canada has been overwhelmed by immigrants pressing asylum claims, even though it receives far fewer than many other countries. The government has struggled to balance Canada’s reputation as a haven for those fleeing persecution with warnings that filing refugee claims is no “free ticket” to remain in the country. The governing Liberals have come under fire for their handling of the more than 37,000 people who have walked across the Canada-US border seeking asylum since January 2017 — many of whom told Reuters they did not feel safe in President Donald Trump’s United States. About 1,400 crossed the frontier in October, down from 1,600 the month before. But most refugee claimants enter the country by other means, and their numbers are growing. “There are 65 million refugees in the world, and there are many desperate people trying to find safety and refuge in western countries,” said Toronto-based lawyer Lorne Waldman. “I think we’re going to see 50,000-plus (refugee claims annually) for the foreseeable future.” Published in Daily Times, November 18th 2018.