Canada likely the ‘only option left’ for asylum seekers from U.S.: advocate

Frantz André from Action Committee for People Without Status says U.S. policies are the reason for the rise in asylum seekers at a Quebec border crossing.

A spokesperson for a Montreal-based group that helps undocumented migrants says the threat of U.S. administration policies could be the reason why a Quebec border crossing has seen an increase in the number of people seeking asylum.

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“[U.S. President Donald Trump] revoked some programs that these people were in, and some of them were to be expired in 2026, 2027,” Frantz André from Action Committee for People Without Status told CTV Your Morning on Monday.

“So, people are running away because they are actually physically deporting people that were supposed to be in the program for months to come.”

According to Canada Border Services Agency data, the number of asylum claims at the Saint-Bernard-de-Lacolle crossing has increased since the beginning of the year – 1,356 applications in March and 557 claims for the first week of April.

• Rise in asylum seekers to Canada as migrants’ protected status set to expire in U.S.

This increase coincides with the U.S. administration ordering a revocation of temporary protection status of approximately 600,000 Venezuelans and 500,000 Haitians.

With the influx of migrants at the border crossing, Quebec Immigration Minister Jean-François Roberge says the province can’t handle more asylum seekers.

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“Canada is probably the only option left [for asylum seekers],” André said. “If they stay in the U.S., they receive letters saying you can no longer stay.”