Quebec sees spike in irregular crossings to U.S., public security minister says

Quebec Public Security Minister François Bonnardel said on Tuesday that the number of irregular crossings from Canada to the U.S. has jumped significantly in the last three years.

Bonnardel met on Tuesday with the RCMP, the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA), the Sûreté du Québec, U.S. Border Patrol, Homeland Security and the Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives to address concerns about border security.

He told a news conference that while nothing suggests a significant flow of migrants into Canada from the U.S., "illegal crossings" to the U.S. from Quebec have increased in the past month, according to intelligence from U.S. law enforcement.

Of the 25,000 irregular crossings into the U.S. from Canada this year, 19,000 happened between Cornwall, Ont., and Sherbrooke, Que., he said. He said there were 600 irregular crossings from Quebec in 2022 and 7,000 in 2023.

"We are in a situation that we can consider stable at the border," Bonnardel said. "This situation is maybe more complicated on the other side."

"We don't want to see a Roxham 2.0," he said in French, referring to the rural southern Quebec road that had been a popular crossing point before it was closed last year.

The federal government has been emphasizing its plans to tighten security at the border since U.S. president-elect Donald Trump threatened to slap 25 per cent tariffs on all products entering the U.S. from Canada and Mexico unless those countries curb the flow of drugs and migrants across their borders.

Bonnardel said that he welcomes federal Public Safety Minister Dominic Leblanc's plans to boost resources for the RCMP to protect the Canada-U.S. border and hopes a "well detailed" plan will be tabled in the next few days.

He noted that most people attempting to cross the border irregularly come from India.

CBSA reduces border crossing hours

In November, CBSA announced that it would reduce crossing hours at 35 ports of entry along the Canada-U.S. border to bolster security, starting on Jan. 6, 2025.

Crossings in the Eastern Townships — Chartierville, Hereford Road and Highwater — will be open from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m.

Miguel Bégin, CBSA east border district director, said the decision to change the schedule was made with American authorities.

"It mainly targets ports of entry that process fewer than one vehicle per hour during the hours that were cut," Bégin said. "In Chartierville, for example, we cut down on service from 8 p.m. to midnight because during this period, we processed only one vehicle every four days, on average."

He said several other service options will be offered to motorists.

"From Abercorn, near Sutton, to Woburn, near Lac-Mégantic, we continue to offer service seven days a week, 24 hours a day, at six border crossings."

Bégin said that the average number of asylum seekers per week fell from 165 between January and September to 140 since November.

He noted that only two per cent of requests are made in the Eastern Townships, mainly in Stanstead, but he said that a plan is in place to deal with an eventual increase in claims.