With Donald Trump’s U.S presidential election win and promises of a large-scale deportation push, Canadian police and migrant support groups are preparing for an increase in asylum seekers heading north.
The Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) has been devising contingency plans, particularly for Quebec, anticipating a possible rise in irregular migration, says RCMP Sergeant Charles Poirier.
“We knew a few months ago that we had to start prepping a contingency plan because if he comes into power, which now he will in a few months, it could drive illegal migration and irregular migration into (the province of) Quebec and into Canada.
“Worst-case scenario would be people crossing in large numbers everywhere on the territory.
“Let’s say we had 100 people per day entering across the border, then it’s going to be hard because our officers will basically have to cover huge distances in order to arrest everyone,” Poirier told Reuters.
Reflecting on the surge in 2017…