A search and rescue operation is being carried out for a woman and two young children who believe they crossed the border from the United States to Canada during the night.
RCMP said the search was launched around midnight on Thursday in the area that surrounds Trout River, which, in the Montérégie region, after two men and a woman were arrested Wednesday night for illegally entering the country.
RCMP spokeswoman Martina Pillarova said that only during interviews with the trio learned about the missing women and children.
Since then, the search operation has been taken by the Sûreté du Québec (SQ).
The ages of the children have not been confirmed, but the SQ told CBC that they are believed to be as young as three years.
Pillarova said that medical emergency services were also waiting, since there were concerns about their safety.
“They can be injured or dehydrated,” said Pillarova, more than 10 hours after the search began.
There is an official border crossing in Trout River that links the municipality of Elgin, which., A constable, NY, which is open from 6 am to 6 pm, most of the days.
Elgin’s general manager, Guylaine Cloutier, said that illegal crosses have increased since the second mandate of the president of the United States, Donald Trump, began, but noted that it is not a new problem.
“It has always existed,” he said, adding that although it is worrying, there is not much that the municipality can do to help.
“We don’t have the capacity or resources,” he said.
Quebec watching the increase in asylum claims
The repression of the Trump administration on immigration has coincided with an increasing number of asylum claims of the possible refugees in Quebec.
The National Security of the USA It ends on April 24.
The Trump administration has also announced the end of the temporary protected status for 600,000 Venezuelans and around 500,000 Haitians, which will expire in August, although a federal judge temporarily suspended it.
The data obtained by Radio-Canada show that the number of claims processed in the popular crossing of the Saint-Bernard-de-Lacolle border went from 560 in January to 1,411 from April 13.
The Third Country Country Agreement of Canada-United States requires that people claim asylum in the first safe country they reach, which means that they cannot travel to the United States, for example, and then claim asylum in Canada.
However, there are exceptions: possible refugees can cross the border and claim asylum in Canada if they have a family member in the country or if they are an unaccompanied minor. There is another exception for anyone who crosses illegally in Canada and hides for two weeks before making their claim.
Federal leaders evaluate immigration
The US policies and their impact on Canada have been the front and in the center on the path of the federal campaign, and the debate of the French leaders on Wednesday was no different.
The leaders intervened in immigration and asylum seekers, in particular.
Conservative leader Pierre Poilievre said he would block people who come from the United States and seek asylum in Canada.
Liberal leader Mark Carney said there are limits for what the country can handle.
“We have to be human, but we have to be realistic. Canada cannot accept everyone,” he said, noting that most asylum seekers would probably be returned to the United States given the safe agreement of the third country.
Meanwhile, NDP leader Jagmeet Singh proposed to eliminate the safe agreement of the third country.
