Six Lego-like concrete blocks mark the end of a rural road at the U.S.-Canada border. The police vehicle, revving through blowing snow, crunches to a stop.
The barriers, installed last August in a joint venture with President Joe Biden’s administration, stop vehicles bearing migrants from barreling across the border into the United States.
But they do not stop migrants crossing on foot.
“People can still hop over them,” said Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) Sergeant Daniel Dubois.
Canadian police say they have installed more cameras and sensors over this section of the border over the last four years. Ottawa promised this month to deploy more officers and technology targeting southbound border-crossers after U.S. President-elect Donald Trump threatened Canada and Mexico with sweeping 25% tariffs if they do not reduce the movement of migrants and drugs into the U.S.
But Canadian law enforcement officials acknowledge they are limited in what they can do to stop southbound migrants.
“Even if we were everywhere, we couldn’t stop it,” said Charles Poirier, an RCMP spokesperson in Quebec.
Canadian authorities turned back about 1,000 people trying to cross into Canada between formal crossings in the 12 months ending in October, according to data obtained by Reuters, compared to more than 23,000 apprehended on the U.S. side by U.S. Customs and Border Patrol. The apprehensions of U.S.-bound migrants doubled from the previous year but still represent a tiny fraction of the 1.5 million apprehensions over the same period near the U.S.- Mexico border, which experiences higher irregular migration overall.
At the Canada-U.S. border, recent movement has been southbound. That could change.
Canadian politicians admit the show of strength at the border is in part about creating an impression of security.
“We have a very important activity to undertake to make sure that we give confidence to the U.S. that we have an immigration system that they can manage for,” Canada’s Immigration Minister Marc Miller told a private meeting last month with the Canadian Council for Refugees advocacy group, according to a recording obtained by Reuters.
He added: “There is a credibility challenge I think we face.”
CLICK HERE TO READ THE FULL ARTICLE By Anna Mehler Paperny ON REUTERS
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