Canada Braces For Influx Of Migrants After Trump Victory As Americans Seek To Relocate
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With US President-elect Donald Trump promising mass deportations, many fear a spike in illegal and irregular border crossings into Canada
US President-elect Donald Trump with Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau. (AP file photo)
With US President-elect Donald Trump promising mass deportations, Canada is on “high alert” as it prepares for a potential rise in illegal and irregular border crossings from the United States.
Trump’s deportation plan mirrors the situation during his first term, when thousands of migrants, including Haitians, fled north after losing US protections. Canadian officials are now bracing for a repeat of that scenario.
Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) Sergeant Charles Poirier said that the Canadian border is under close surveillance. “All of our eyes are looking at the border to see what’s going to happen,” he noted, acknowledging that Trump’s immigration policies could drive “illegal and irregular migration” to Canada.
Canada’s plan
In Ottawa, Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland assured Canadians that the government has a plan to manage any rise in migrant arrivals, though specific details were not disclosed.
“We have a plan,” she told a news conference after the meeting, without giving details. “Canadians need to know… our borders are safe and secure and we control them.”
However, Canada is also grappling with its own immigration challenges. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s government has recently slashed immigration targets, focusing on slowing population growth while strengthening infrastructure and social services.
Quebec’s Premier, Francois Legault, expressed concern about the strain a potential influx of migrants could place on the province’s housing and resources.
‘How To Move To Canada’ Searches Surge
In the wake of the US election results, which saw Trump’s Republicans victorious, online searches related to moving to Canada have surged dramatically.
According to Google Trends, searches for terms like “immigrate to Canada,” “Canada immigration process,” and “how to move to Canada” surged tenfold following the election results.
While the exact motivations behind these searches are unclear, many US citizens opposed to Trump’s return to power have reportedly been seeking information on Canadian immigration services.
While the interest in relocating is growing, the process is not quick. Canada’s government estimates that permanent residency applications can take up to one year to process, and refugee claims may take even longer.
The RCMP has also warned of the dangers involved in trying to cross the border irregularly, particularly in the winter months when conditions can be deadly.
“We understand the misery and fear that drives people to try to cross into Canada (through forests or fields or across lakes and rivers), but there are real dangers,” Poirier warned.
“It’s starting to get cold. We’ve seen some tragedies in the past. People were severely frostbitten and had to have amputations. People also suffered severe hypothermia,” he said.
Poirier further noted that the authorities are preparing for an increase in border activity, deploying additional personnel, and using technology such as drones and sensors to monitor the border.
(With inputs from AFP)
