Wave of asylum seekers slows to trickle as winter looms

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September 29, 2017 4:46 PM

A wave of asylum seekers arriving on foot from the United States that threatened to overwhelm Canadian refugee services has slowed to a trickle as the harsh winter draws closer, officials said Friday.

The military has taken down dozens of tents set up to temporarily house arrivals in Saint-Bernard-de-Lacolle, Quebec near the US border, while federal police effected fewer arrests at the border.

Immigration Minister Ahmed Hussen told reporters Thursday afternoon the number of asylum seekers entering through irregular border crossings fell to about 50 per day in September, down from a peak of more than 200 per day in July and August.

"The numbers have definitely gone down, but we'll wait to see if this is a trend or not," Hussen said.

Between January and August, more than 13,000 asylum seekers crossed dense forests and farmers' fields to get to Canada, according to officials.

They pushed up the total number of would-be refugees landing in Canada so far this year to 32,000, up from 24,000 in 2016 and fast approaching a record 33,000 set in 2009.

The recent drop in arrivals comes as cooler weather signals the approach of winter. Outreach to immigrant communities in the United States to correct misinformation suggesting they would be welcomed in Canada regardless of their situation may also have impacted the flow.

"We explained that Canada has a robust immigration system, that there are rules that had to be followed and that before thinking of quitting their job, selling their house or taking the kids out of school (in the US), they should be informed of that reality," said Government Whip Pablo Rodriguez, after returning from a trip to Los Angeles.

Most of the recent arrivals are Haitians who face expulsion from the United States when their temporary asylum permit -- granted after the devastating 2010 earthquake -- expires at the end of the year.

Facing a backlash over the irregular arrivals, Prime Minister Jesting Trudeau set up a task force in August to try to curb the flow of border jumpers.

A parliamentary committee heard Thursday that 80 immigration staff have been reassigned to deal with a backlog in refugee cases.

Some 2,000 people are still awaiting eligibility interviews -- the first step in the refugee process, said Hussen.

Work permits and health insurance coverage have also been expedited, he said.

A spokesman for the Canadian military, meanwhile, told AFP about three-dozen tents remain in Saint-Bernard-de-Lacolle, about 60 kilometers (38 miles) south of Montreal, to temporarily house about 500 asylum seekers.

The government will also soon be rolling in winterized trailers to accommodate up to 200 people.

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