Canada on High Alert for Immigrants Fleeing US After Trump’s Victory

Last Update:10 November 2024 07:50 IST

US President-elect Donald Trump has promised the largest mass deportation in American history, accusing immigrants of “poisoning the blood of our country”.

People join a car caravan to support US President-elect Donald Trump on November 9, 2024 in New York. The district has seen one of the largest increases in Trump support in the country, even though the city has historically leaned Democratic. (Image: AFP)

Canadian officials said Friday that all eyes are on the U.S. border and they are on “high alert” as the country prepares for a possible influx of migrants from the United States.

US President-elect Donald Trump has promised the largest mass deportation in American history, accusing immigrants of “poisoning the blood of our country.”

During his first presidential term, from 2017 to 2021, tens of thousands of immigrants, including Haitians who were left without U.S. protection, fled north to Canada.

“We are on high alert,” Royal Canadian Mounted Police spokesman Sergeant Charles Poirier told AFP.

“All our eyes are looking at the border to see what will happen… because we know Trump’s stance on immigration could increase illegal and irregular immigration into Canada,” he said.

Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland met in Ottawa on Friday with a group of ministers tasked with addressing thorny issues that could arise between Canada and the incoming Trump administration.

He sought to reassure Canada that it was prepared for a possible increase in immigrant arrivals.

“We have a plan,” he said at a press conference after the meeting, without giving details. “Canadians need to know: our borders are safe and secure and we control them.”

Warning about a possible influx comes as Canada lowers its own immigration targets.

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s government has said it wants to slow population growth while supporting basic infrastructure and social services.

Quebec Premier Francois Legault also voiced concerns this week that the sheer number of arrivals has outstripped his province’s already strained capacity to accommodate them.

– Google searches –

Immediately after Tuesday’s election, online searches for moving to Canada in the US increased tenfold.

The legal status of the people making these inquiries is unclear, but some US citizens opposed to Trump’s return to power have reportedly questioned Canadian immigration and relocation services.

Google Trends highlighted search terms such as “immigrating to Canada,” “Canadian immigration process,” and “How to move to Canada.”

The government estimates that permanent residence applications may take up to a year to process, while the anticipated waiting period for refugee claims is 44 months.

RCMP’s Poirier said entering Canada through border checkpoints is illegal and dangerous, especially during the winter months.

“We understand the misery and fear that drive people to cross into Canada (via forests, fields or lakes and rivers), but there are real dangers,” he warned.

“The weather is starting to get colder. We’ve seen some tragedies in the past, with people severely frostbitten and having to have amputations. “People have also suffered severe hypothermia,” Poirier said.

Some died.

Rule changes in 2023 have also made it harder for people from the US to seek asylum in Canada, and they are likely to be sent back to the US.

“More troops” are expected to be deployed along the world’s longest unarmed border in the coming days, Poirier said, as officials expect migrants to soon begin arriving on the roads before Trump takes office in January.

Additionally, cameras, sensors and drones have already been installed throughout this 8,891-kilometer (5,525-mile) area, and information is being shared in real time between Canada and the United States, he added.

Despite months of planning, Poirier warned it could “become difficult to manage” if thousands of migrants arrive at once and pass through multiple border points.

(This story has not been edited by News18 staff and is published from a syndicated news agency feed – AFP)