Parti Quebecois calls to close Roxham Road, with SQ intervention if necessary

Poilievre mum on MP's 'illegal refugees' comment Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre is calling for the closure of the Roxham Road irregular border crossing.

QUEBEC CITY — Quebec must shut down Roxham Road on its own, with the help of the provincial police if necessary, according to the Parti Québécois (PQ).

The PQ is making that proposal in a motion tabled in the legislature late Thursday morning.

In a press scrum in the Quebec legislature Thursday morning, PQ MNA Pascal Bérubé said the current situation is untenable.

Roxham Road is a passageway into Canada via the Eastern Townships used for irregular immigration from the United States.

The provincial Liberal opposition has already indicated that it will not vote in favour of this motion.

People who use this route then claim asylum in Canada, and the Quebec government manages the claimants. An article in 'La Presse' revealed Thursday that it costs up to $20 million a month in extra social security payments to asylum seekers.

- This report by The Canadian Press was first published in French on Feb. 2, 2023