Donald Trump’s election victory could spark a huge influx of illegal immigrants to Canada fleeing the United States for a state that previously promised to welcome them. t.
Canadian police and migrant aid groups are preparing for the arrival of asylum seekers from the United States while facing record numbers of asylum seekers. Some compare the expected increase to a “worst case scenario.”
President-elect Trump came to power this week in part on a promise to implement the largest deportation in U.S. history.
Canadian police have been preparing for months, Royal Canadian Mounted Police Sergeant Charles Poirier said Thursday.
“In the worst case scenario, people would cross the entire territory in large numbers,” he said.
Canadian officials worry that Donald Trump’s election will drive illegal immigrants fleeing his harsh policies into their country.
“Let’s say we have 100 people a day crossing the border, then it will be difficult because our agents will basically have to cover enormous distances to arrest everyone.”
The police chief said his teams had been preparing a “contingency plan” for Trump’s election, warning it could spur illegal and irregular migration to Quebec and Canada.
When Trump first came to power in 2017, thousands of asylum seekers crossed into Canada between formal border crossings to file asylum claims, overwhelmingly on Roxham Road near the Quebec-New York border.
Roxham Road no longer an option: Canada and the United States expanded a bilateral agreement so that asylum seekers attempting to cross along the 4,000-mile border, rather than just by formal crossings, will now be turned away unless they meet a limited exemption.
It comes as Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced a massive 180-degree turn in his immigration policy amid dismal ratings for his Liberal Party in the polls as the country falters under record numbers of immigrants.
In July, nearly 20,000 people filed asylum applications, according to data from the Immigration and Refugee Board.
Experts said the figure is the highest monthly total on record and was driven by global displacement.
The number has since dropped to around 16,400 in September, but remains historically high. According to the board, there are more than 250,000 claims pending.
Trump came to power promising to carry out the largest deportation policy in US history.
Canada is already battling an influx of asylum seekers and recently announced plans to reduce the number of migrants it allows in.
Protesters demonstrate against Canada’s regularization of undocumented immigrants in Montreal, Quebec
Trudeau revealed that the government will reduce the number of immigrants allowed into the country for the first time in years.
Canada will allow 395,000 new permanent residents in 2025, 380,000 in 2026 and 365,000 in 2027, up from 485,000 in 2024, according to the National Post.
But migrant aid groups warned that closing legal asylum routes only leads to riskier immigration practices.
“When you don’t create legitimate pathways, or when you just create pathways where people have to do the impossible to get to safety, unfortunately, people are going to try to do the impossible,” said Abdulla Daoud, director of The Refugee Center. in Montreal.
Police are on “high alert,” Poirier said, prepared to deploy additional resources to patrol the border.
Depending on what happens, that could mean hundreds more agents. It could also mean more cruises, bus rentals, trailer construction and land rentals.
“Right now all eyes are on the border,” Poirier added. “We were on high alert, I can assure you, a few days before the election, and we will probably remain on high alert for the next few weeks.”
Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau made a 180-degree turn on immigration amid dismal polls for his party.
Canadian police said they have been working on a ‘contingency plan’ in case Trump is elected
Toronto’s FCJ Refugee Center already sees dozens of new asylum seekers a week, said founder Loly Rico.
Trump’s election “is going to impact Canada,” he said. “We will start to see more people crossing the border, showing up in cities and seeking support.”
He is worried about what will happen in the winter. In 2022, a family of four froze to death while attempting to cross the border near Emerson, Manitoba.
“It’s going to be a challenge for any refugee in the United States to feel like they belong, and that’s why they’re going to start looking at what other countries can start providing protection for them.”
Canada’s immigration department “will continue to prepare for and anticipate all possible scenarios; any approach taken will be first and foremost in the best interest of Canada and all those who live here,” Immigration Minister Marc Miller’s office wrote in a statement. .