The U.S. revoked their visas. Most visitors wanted to sneak into Canada to apply for refugees.

The U.S. revoked their visas. Most visitors wanted to sneak into Canada to apply for refugees. On August 6, 2017, refugees crossed the U.S.-Canada border and entered Quebec. U.S. authorities said that as...

U.S. authorities said that with the unfolding of Operation Northern Watch, thousands of visitor visas issued by the United States have been revoked. Most of the visitors plan to or have already gone to Canada to apply for asylum, and some have ties to terrorist organizations.

According to a report from the U.S. Department of State, Operation Northern Watch aims to combat criminal activities such as visa fraud, smuggling and terrorist threats at the U.S.-Canada border. Since its implementation in January 2015, U.S. authorities have revoked approximately 2,400 visitor visas issued by 85 U.S. embassies and consulates abroad.

The annual report of the U.S. Department of State's Diplomatic Security Service (DSS) stated that some of the people whose visas were revoked had committed crimes in the United States, but through Operation Northern Watch, it was found that the vast majority of those whose visas were revoked planned to or had already applied for refugee asylum in Canada, and some were associated with terrorist organizations.

A U.S. Department of State official said in an email to CBC that the Bureau of Diplomatic Security cannot release information about terrorist organizations or anyone suspected of being associated with them. The bureau has not announced how many of the revoked visa holders have gone to Canada.

The official added that law enforcement agencies revealed that some people admitted that they tried or planned to apply for asylum in Canada. As for others, the Diplomatic Security Service had reason to believe that they had planned to apply for asylum in Canada.

The U.S. Bureau of Diplomatic Security stated that the United States will conduct comprehensive security checks on every incoming passenger, but in some cases, bad information will only surface after someone enters the country.

Canadian Public Safety Minister Ralph Goodale said in October that Canadian officials had discovered that certain documents issued by the U.S. embassy and consulates had a tendency to be misused. He said that Canada has asked the United States to trace the origins of these travel documents and examine the common characteristics of these travel documents and why the holders of these travel documents had no intention of staying in the United States, but only used these documents as a tool to enter the United States and then go straight to Canada.