Quebec public security minister says no indication so far of migrant influx from U.S.

Quebec Public Security Minister François Bonnardel responds to the Opposition during question period at the legislature in Quebec City, Wednesday, Nov. 6, 2024. (Jacques Boissinot/The Canadian Press)

Quebec’s public security minister says the situation at the province’s border with the United States is “under control” and that there is no indication so far of an influx of migrants trying to enter Canada.

François Bonnardel spoke to reporters after meeting in Montreal with representatives of Canadian and American law enforcement agencies, including the RCMP, the Canada Border Services Agency, the United States Border Patrol, and the Department of Homeland Security.

The meeting took place amid threats by president-elect Donald Trump to impose a 25 per cent tariff on products from Canada and Mexico in response to the flow of migrants and illegal drugs entering the U.S.

Bonnardel says there has been a spike in illegal crossings from Canada to the U.S. in the last three years, with the number hitting 25,000 this year, of which 19,000 occurred in the corridor between Cornwall, Ont., and Sherbrooke, Que.

The minister says he wants to see the federal government’s plan for boosting border security in the near future, adding that he hopes there will be adequate resources to protect the border.

He says it’s important that the border be well-protected in both directions and that it’s hard to predict what might happen in the coming weeks and months.

"Everyone is aware of the situation. Everyone is aware of the message that is being sent by the president-elect," Bonnardel told reporters.

"As much as we do not want to see a migratory flow from the United States to Canada, our friends, our American partners want the same thing on the other side. The war effort must come from both sides."

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Dec. 3, 2024.