According to one immigration expert, the relaxed requirements for Canadian visas could lead to an increase in illegal Romania immigrants that are crossing the border in the United States.
“First of all, the reason they come from Canada is that Canada lifted the requirements for visas for Romanians in 2017,” Mark Cricolian, executive director of the Centre for Immigration Studies, told Fox News Digital. “So if you're Romanian it's much easier to go to Canada than you do here. So you're sneaking up on the borders. And why not stay in Canada instead of coming here?
US Customs and Border Patrol Data from the Holton Sector in Maine shows that Romanians account for less than 1% of border intersections in 2023. Of the 344 illegal crossings in the sector, 40 were identified as Romanian citizens.
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The Border Patrol bets on the countryside near the Canadian border in Canaan, Virginia on January 20, 2024. (via GINAFERAZZI/LOS ANGELS TIMES GITY IMAGES)
The Halton Sector is located in northeastern Maine, adjacent to New Brunswick, Canada.
Clicorian suggested that Romanians may be trying to link to families in the metropolitan city. The I-95 runs directly through Houlton, making it possible for immigrants to move south and connect with relatives.
The Houlton sector's U.S. Customs and Border Protection Agent will arrest anyone who illegally crossed the U.S. Canadian border this month. (US Customs and Border Protection – Halton Sector)
He explained that most Romanians leaving their country will flee to Italy, and to a lesser extent Germany and other European Union countries will flee. Still, more enterprising immigration may follow the US.
“Italian is one of the great destinations for many Romanians,” Krikolian said. “But there are probably people who want to come here. So the US is better than Italy. There's more opportunity here.”
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Border Patrol agents keep an eye on a road near the US-Canadian border in Moores Fork, New York on January 23, 2025. (Reuters/Carlos Osorio)
However, Clicorians expect the number of illegal immigrants among Romanians to fall from the end of this month due to changes in visa requirements that Romanians want to enter the United States.
Romanian citizens will be eligible for the visa waiver program at the end of March. The program allows citizens of participating countries to travel to the United States for up to 90 days without a visa, whether tourism or business.
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The Immigration Research Center chart shows the foreign-born population of the United States over the past few presidential administrations. (Immigration Research Center)
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Krikorian said that the number of illegal immigrants in Romania will decrease as a result, but the number of legal participants in Romania will increase, with some of them postponing visas.
“So, illegal Romanian immigration will switch and transform from border jumpers to over-visa residents,” he said.
