Some Haitian migrants arrested in Quebec on Christmas Day deported to U.S.

A Canada Border Services Agency patch is seen on the shoulder of a CBSA officer at the Rainbow Bridge border crossing in Niagara Falls, Ont., on Friday, Oct. 17, 2025. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Nathan Denette

Some of the 19 migrants of Haitian origin arrested in Quebec on Christmas Day have been deported to the United States.

Canada Border Services Agency says the migrants’ asylum claims were processed and those who were deemed inadmissible were sent back south of the border.

In an emailed statement, the agency didn’t say how many would-be refugees were deported.

The agency says an agreement between Canada and the U.S. requires people to seek asylum in the first “safe” country they arrive in, meaning migrants in the U.S. can’t cross the border to seek refuge in Canada.

The RCMP have said the 19 migrants were arrested on the evening of Dec. 25 in the Havelock, Que., area about five kilometres from the New York border.

The group included people between the ages of one and 60.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Jan. 2, 2026.