25 Ghanaians Seek Asylum in Canada After 2026 FIFA World Cup – Report
Twenty-five Ghanaians who travelled to Canada during the 2026 FIFA World Cup have reportedly applied for asylum after entering the country on temporary resident visas, according to figures released by Canada’s Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC).
The reported Ghanaian cases form part of 175 asylum applications submitted by foreign nationals who travelled to Canada in connection with the global football tournament, which was jointly hosted by Canada, the United States and Mexico.
IRCC disclosed that it approved temporary residence applications for 26,111 individuals who indicated they were travelling to Canada for FIFA World Cup-related activities. Of that number, 175 later submitted asylum claims after arriving in Canada. The department noted that the statistics only cover applicants who identified “FIFA World Cup 26” as the purpose of their travel in their immigration applications.
While Ghana recorded the highest number of asylum claims among participating World Cup nations, the figures also include applicants from several other countries. Canadian authorities have not provided details about the individual circumstances behind the Ghanaian applications, and each asylum request will be assessed independently under Canada’s refugee protection laws.
The development comes weeks after reports indicated that Canada applied stringent visa screening measures ahead of the World Cup, with visitor visa approvals varying significantly by country as immigration officials sought to balance security with facilitating travel for football fans.
Canada’s asylum system requires officials to determine whether each claimant is eligible before referring the case to the Immigration and Refugee Board for a full hearing. Filing an asylum claim does not automatically guarantee refugee status or permanent residence.
The latest figures may spark renewed discussions in Ghana about international travel compliance and the impact that asylum claims by temporary visitors could have on future visa applications for genuine travellers, students and business visitors.
Source: Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) via published reports.
