Opposition MPs call on Trudeau to curb illegal immigration

The Trudeau government permits illegal immigrants to claim asylum after living in the country for 14 days.

Alex Dhaliwal
  |   December 10, 2024   |   News   |   1 Comment

Critics of the Trudeau government’s immigration policies have called on Ottawa to deny asylum to migrants who enter the country illegally.

Opposition MPs are livid by the sheer number of illegal immigrants who have entered the country in recent years, leading to threats of crippling tariffs by U.S. President-elect Donald Trump.

Intelligence documents, obtained by the Globe and Mail, warned the Department of Immigration last year of a huge uptick in clandestine crossings.

According to the briefing, smugglers are charging illegal immigrants upwards of $45,000 to sneak people across the border, typically using routes into Québec, with thousands then making asylum claims.

Some 25,000 illegal immigrants tried entering the U.S. from Canada this year, according to the province, with most illegal crossings occurring at the “Swanton Sector,” a stretch of land where Ontario and Québec meet the borders of New York State, Vermont and New Hampshire. 

The number of undocumented persons currently living in Canada is unknown, but an estimated 500,000 people could be in the country without status, according to an April 24 briefing note titled Undocumented Migrants.

The RCMP can only arrest illegal immigrants travelling with a human smuggler, confirmed a spokesperson.

Under the Safe Third Country Agreement, asylum seekers in Canada or the U.S. could make their claim in the first country they enter. However, a loophole allowed those who entered Canada through an unofficial crossing to remain in the country without the immediate threat of deportation.

The prime minister closed that loophole, but corrections revealed yet another problem with the agreement. 

Those who manage to cross clandestinely can claim asylum after 14 days in the country and have their cases heard, reported the Globe.

Closures of the unofficial point of entry last March 24 only diverted traffic to airports, going from 2,320 asylum claims in 2015 to 41,350 last year, according to immigration critic Tom Kmiec, of whom many are Mexican nationals.

With at least six months’ notice, Canada and the U.S. can terminate the current agreement in place of renegotiated terms. 

Immigration lawyer David Matas said “the agreement could be extended by removing the possibility of staying in Canada if one enters Canada illegally and remains hidden for 14 days or more.”

People fleeing persecution are entitled to claim asylum in Canada or the U.S., whichever they enter first. Attempts to enter Canada after landing south of the border first, are usually sent back to the U.S. at regular border crossings. 

“That would be even more effective in discouraging traversal of the U.S. than the present form of the agreement,” he told the Globe.

Overall, illegal border crossings from Canada into the U.S. amount to a fraction of the movement across the northern Mexican border. A whopping 56,000 people entered from Mexico this past October alone.

The Trudeau government recently warned migrants and illegal immigrants not to come to Canada through a series of advertisements, running in 11 languages. They also reduced immigration targets in October to no avail.

“At some point, Trudeau has to send a new message,” claimed Québec Premier François Legault last January, noting the province has “thinly stretched” resources to accommodate more people.

“Last time Trump arrived at the White House, he [Trudeau] opened a ‘welcome centre’ at Roxham Road,” Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre said, pointing to Trudeau in November. 

The Trudeau government promised an undisclosed number of “measures” last month to enforce Canada’s immigration laws, with a winter tariff war looming.

“There is work to be done here to make sure people aren’t going in irregularly into the United States,” Marc Miller, the Minister of Immigration, told reporters on November 26. 

While illegal crossings since 2007 never exceeded 1,000 people annually through the area, a sudden rise to 7,000 last year prompted a significant surge.

The Trudeau government has until the president-elect’s January 20th inauguration to address its porous borders.

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As President-elect Donald Trump prepares to implement mass deportations of undocumented immigrants, Alexandra Lavoie is committed to uncovering the truth about Canada's readiness and the realities of illegal crossings. To support this investigation, we seek your assistance to cover travel, equipment, and production expenses. Your contribution will enable us to deliver the in-depth reporting that we just can't rely on the mainstream media for. Please donate today to empower our independent journalism.

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Alex Dhaliwal

Calgary Based Journalist

Alex Dhaliwal is a Political Science graduate from the University of Calgary. He has actively written on relevant Canadian issues with several prominent interviews under his belt.

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  • Bruce Atchison
    commented 2024-12-10 19:38:00 -0500
    While we welcome genuine refugees, we must send freeloaders packing. The RCMP must catch and hold human traffickers too. It’s immoral to let freeloaders in while legal immigrants have to wait so long. Human traffickers must be held accountable for their crimes. Two-tier justice must stop.