According to statistics released this past week, the number of illegal border crossings for the month of May near Emerson Manitoba has dropped to 106 from 146 in the previous month. This follows an earlier drop of approximately 14% from March to April.
“I am very pleased to see the number of illegal border crossings drop for the second straight month,” said MP Ted Falk. “While this two month trend is definitely encouraging and I hope that the message of ‘seeking asylum in the proper manner’ is starting to resonate, the overall numbers for 2017 are still worrisome.”
Illegal border crossing have been largely concentrated in three areas of the country – Emerson Manitoba; Hemmingford, Quebec; and Surrey B.C. In 2016 there were 2464 illegal crossings near these three communities. This year, in the first five months alone, there have already been 3445.
“While I am encouraged with the short term downtrend and hope it continues, we must remain diligent,” said MP Falk. “I will continue to push the Trudeau government to show some leadership on this issue, protect the sovereignty of our border, and fight for a long term solution.”
“Canada is a generous and accepting country and our immigration system reflects that,” added Falk. “Canadians expect our government to preserve a secure border and a consistent, safe and fair system for all those seeking to make Canada their new home.”
