Quebecers living along U.S. border see increase in migrants crossing

For years Roxham Road was synonymous with the movement of migrants crossing the Canada-U.S. border — until it closed 2023, tens of thousands of asylum seekers used it to cross into Quebec.

But it’s not the only road used by migrants to come into the province, and some residents who live along the border say their land is being used as a crossing point more than ever.

For the past two years Andre Labelle has seen his property in Saint-Armand used as a thoroughfare by hundreds of migrants heading both into Canada and the United States.

“I had to wake up at around two in the morning and there was a van in the cornfield trying to get unstuck,” he told CTV News.

On another day, someone came knocking at his door around 1 a.m.

The Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) regularly patrols the area, and some birdhouses have been equipped with cameras keeping an eye on the U.S. border.

“If people were to start crossing on that border, which is essentially forest area and agricultural land, it'd be very difficult for our officers to be able to maintain coverage,” said Sgt. Charles Poirier, RCMP spokesperson.

The Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) regularly patrols the U.S. border, and some birdhouses have been equipped with cameras keeping an eye on the area. (Kelly Greig / CTV)

According to data from the U.S., a stretch of land going from the Maine-New Hampshire state line to Alexandria Bay, New York, has seen nearly 19,000 interceptions since October 2023.

Most migrants coming into Canada used to cross at Roxham Road, but that was before the Safe Third Country Agreement changed.

“It’s no longer advantageous for people to cross illegally unless they want to do it without being caught,” said Poirier.

Saint-Armand Mayor Caroline Rosetti is worried the town is now becoming known as a crossing point.

“What people fear the most is that now it seems to be organized. So we have vans or vehicles coming and dropping off people, and there seems to be vehicles on the other side waiting for people,” she said.

Saint-Armand isn’t the only place where migrants are seen crossing in Canada. Nearly 150 kilometres west, in Dundee, Que., a landowner shared images from a trail camera showing people heading across the border.

Labelle said that people are crossing at all hours of the day and night and despite calling the U.S. border patrol and the RCMP there's not enough officers to keep up.

With the new administration in the U.S. coming into power this winter, he’s worried his backyard will become even busier.