From World Cup Travel to Asylum: What Canada’s Latest Figures Reveal About Migration Pathways and the “Japa” Phenomenon

For some migrants, the journey does not end when the visa expires. A temporary trip for a global sporting event can become part of a much longer migration pathway — one that may eventually lead to an asylum application.

Ghana, Egypt, Senegal, Nigeria and Burundi are among the African countries whose nationals applied for asylum in Canada after travelling on temporary visas linked to the 2026 FIFA World Cup.

Data from Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) shows that Ghanaian nationals recorded the highest number of asylum claims among the African countries identified, with 25 applications. Egypt followed with 15, while Senegal and Nigeria recorded 10 claims each. Burundi accounted for five.

In total, 175 people who had received temporary visas connected to the World Cup later applied for asylum in Canada. Canadian authorities had approved more than 26,000 visa applications associated with the tournament, with applicants coming from countries including China, Colombia, Bangladesh, Nepal, Pakistan and Ecuador.

The figures raise an important question: When does a temporary journey become a migration pathway?

From temporary mobility to permanent migration aspirations

International sporting events create significant opportunities for legal mobility. Visitors may enter a country as tourists, football supporters, officials, workers or members of support teams. However, once individuals arrive in a new country, their understanding of their own future may change.

Some may encounter better economic opportunities. Others may reassess the political, social or personal circumstances they left behind. For some, the possibility of remaining in the country may become more attractive than returning home.

This does not automatically mean that every asylum claim is illegitimate or that every visitor travelled with the intention of seeking asylum. The reasons behind each application are individual and must be assessed according to the relevant legal framework.

Nevertheless, the transition from temporary mobility to a search for longer-term security is a familiar feature of contemporary migration.

The “Japa” dimension

The development also connects with the Nigerian concept of “Japa”—a popular expression describing the desire to leave Nigeria, particularly in search of better economic opportunities, security, education and a more stable future.

Although the World Cup-related asylum claims involve nationals from several countries, the Nigerian cases provide a useful lens through which to understand the broader phenomenon.

Japa is not a single migration route. People may leave through education, employment, family reunification, tourism, business, irregular journeys or other legal and humanitarian pathways. The route may begin with one intention and evolve as circumstances change.

A person may initially travel as a visitor, later explore educational or employment opportunities, and eventually consider other legal options for remaining in the country. In other cases, personal circumstances may lead someone to seek international protection.

This is why migration cannot always be understood simply by looking at the visa with which a person entered a country. The migration pathway may develop after arrival.

Ghana and the history of post-tournament asylum claims

The latest figures have also attracted attention because of a similar case involving Ghanaian nationals after the 2014 FIFA World Cup in Brazil.

Approximately 200 Ghanaians reportedly sought asylum after travelling to Brazil for the tournament, citing religious persecution. The Ghanaian government rejected the claims at the time, describing them as baseless.

The similarity between the two cases highlights a recurring issue surrounding major international events: global sporting tournaments can become temporary points of contact between people and countries that may later develop into longer-term migration decisions.

A pathway — not necessarily a strategy

However, it is important to avoid jumping to conclusions.

The available data does not show whether the 175 applicants deliberately travelled to Canada with the intention of seeking asylum. It also does not reveal whether the applicants were football players, team officials, support staff, spectators or ordinary visitors.

Nor does the data reveal the outcome of their claims.

Therefore, the figures alone cannot prove that the World Cup was used as an organised route to asylum. What they do demonstrate is how different forms of mobility can intersect.

A tourist journey can become a migration journey. A temporary visa can be followed by a request for protection. An aspiration to travel can develop into an aspiration to remain.

For many people associated with the Japa phenomenon, migration is rarely a perfectly predictable process. The original plan may be to study, work or visit. But after arrival, new opportunities, difficulties and uncertainties can reshape the journey.

The wider migration question

The Canadian figures therefore raise a broader question about modern migration: Should migration pathways be understood only by the original purpose of travel, or also by what happens after migrants arrive?

The answer is increasingly important in a world where international mobility is expanding but legal pathways to permanent residence remain limited.

For migrants from Nigeria, Ghana and other countries, the desire to move abroad may begin as an aspiration for a better life. The route taken may then change according to opportunities, restrictions and personal circumstances.

That is the complexity behind the Japa phenomenon—and, more broadly, contemporary migration.

The 2026 FIFA World Cup asylum figures are therefore more than just a list of numbers. They provide another example of how temporary travel, migration aspirations, legal status and the search for security can intersect in unexpected ways.

Ultimately, each asylum application must be assessed on its own facts. But the broader pattern reminds us that migration journeys are not always linear. Sometimes, the journey begins with a visa for a short visit — and ends with a completely different decision about where a person wants, or needs, to build a future.