OTTAWA — The federal government says it is cracking down on what it calls a “low volume” of asylum claims made by foreigners arriving in Newfoundland and Labrador from a nearby territory of France.

Saint Pierre and Miquelon, an archipelago 19 kilometres off the coast of Newfoundland, is served by frequent ferry service.

On June 4, Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada announced it would start requiring those arriving from the territory by boat to have an electronic travel authorization, a $7 permit required mostly for people flying to Canada.

Known as an eTA, the permit is a pre-screening tool Ottawa uses to prevent criminals, people with active tuberculosis and some asylum claimants from reaching a border guard.

The department said it was imposing this requirement on the French islands because some foreigners from other countries who would need an eTA appeared to be “attempting to bypass Canada’s immigration and border screening processes.”

The department said it has “noticed an emerging trend of ineligible asylum claimants using this route” but added the numbers are too small to publicly disclose for privacy reasons.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published June, 15, 2026.

Dylan Robertson, The Canadian Press