Canada announced that it would continue to admit asylum seekers, including those arriving illegally, on the eve of the announcement by the country's authorities to set up a shelter on its border with the United States after the latter issued two new memoranda that would expel nearly 11 million illegal refugees in the country.
Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said his country would continue to accept asylum seekers crossing the border with the United States illegally but would take the necessary security measures to keep its citizens safe. According to Reuters.
In recent weeks, the number of asylum seekers in Canada has increased at remote border crossings unguarded amid fears that US President Donald Trump is campaigning for immigrants. Canadian police have quickly spread pictures of migrants smiling.
Canada Immigration and Visa Jobs
Opposition conservatives want Trudeau's center-left government to limit the flow of asylum seekers from the United States because of security concerns and lack of resources to deal with them.
"One of the fundamentals of Canada's survival is the confidence of Canadians in the immigration system, the safety of our borders, and the assistance we provide to people who want safety," Trudeau told parliament on Tuesday.
"We will continue to balance a strong system and accept people who need help," he said :
Canadian police said on Monday they had beefed up their presence along the Quebec border and border authorities had set up a temporary refugee center to deal with the growing number of asylum seekers.
The number of asylum seekers at the border crossings between Quebec and the United States has more than doubled in 2015-2016. Last month, 452 people applied in Quebec last month, compared to 137 in January.
The border services are straining the resources of the police and the federal government in the western province of Manitoba and in Quebec, where taxis are being used by asylum seekers a few meters from the border between Quebec and the United States, the border services agency said. .