Sergeant Charles Poirier from Royal Canadian Mounted Police says theyʼve been getting ready for months: border control might need hundreds of extra staff members new equipment and temporary buildings
The border situation is already complex - last summer saw record-breaking numbers with around 20k refugee claims in one month (which went down to 16.4k by fall); theres more than 250k pending cases right now
The border rules changed a lot since 2017 when people could ask for asylum at places like Roxham Road. Now asylum-seekers must stay hidden for 2-weeks before making claims which makes the process more risky; especially during cold-weather season
Abdulla Daoud who runs The Refugee Centre in Montreal points out a tricky situation: “When you dont create legitimate pathways or when you only create pathways where people have to do the impossible to receive safety; people are going to try to do the impossible“
- Police need more cars
- Extra land rental needed
- New trailer buildings required
- Bus charters planned
The situation creates extra work for smugglers too - Loly Rico from Torontoʼs FCJ Refugee Centre explains that people now pay more to get directly to Canada instead of going through US first. The center already helps dozens of new-comers each week: its getting busier day-by-day
Immigration Ministerʼs office stays quiet about exact plans but says theyʼre “preparing for all possible scenarios“ - their main focus is protecting Canadas interests