Seven people who came to Canada to watch the Vancouver Winter Olympics are now seeking refugee status, CTV News has learned, including claimants from Hungary, Russia and Japan.
Immigration Minister Jason Kenney said it was "ridiculous" that anyone from Japan could claim to be a refugee and told CTV's Power Play Tuesday that it was a sign that the system has broken down.
"Look, to get two claims from Japan? This is ridiculous. Japan is a liberal democratic country with full human rights protections," he said. "You have to wonder what kind of a system we have that encourages people from a democracy like that to be saying that they're victims of persecution and coming to Canada."
Kenney could not comment on specific cases, but said four of the claimants are from Hungary, two are from Japan and one is from Russia.
The minister said Hungary is becoming a problem for the immigration and refugee system.
