The Legault government is concerned about the illegal migration taking place in the Swanton sector between Quebec and the United States, calling on the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) to place the necessary manpower there.
At a news conference in Quebec City on Tuesday morning, Public Security Minister François Bonnardel gave an update on the situation at the border between Quebec and the United States, just a few days before the swearing-in of U.S. President-elect Donald Trump.
For weeks now, Trump has been hammering home his threat of tariffs, citing illegal immigration and the proliferation of fentanyl among other issues.
Quebec believes that the president-elect has legitimate concerns, particularly about immigration.
The government specifically mentioned the Swanton sector, which links Quebec and Ontario to several American states, including Vermont and New York. Of the 26,000 illegal crossings in 2024, 19,000 occurred in this sector.
“Eighty per cent of the Canadian problem is almost here, on the Ontario border, part of Akwasasne, all the way to Sherbrooke,” the minister pointed out at a news conference. “So, in concrete terms, we need to focus at least 80 per cent of the efforts of the RCMP and the Border Services Agency on this sector to show the Americans that the situation is going to improve over the coming months.”
According to the minister, there are currently around 800 police officers providing security in the sector.
For its part, Quebec says that the Sûreté du Québec (SQ) is ready to deploy 300 officers within 24 to 48 hours if there is an increase in illegal immigration.
Bonnardel added that there was no fentanyl problem at the Quebec-US border.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published in French on Jan. 14, 2024.
