Overview

• RCMP and Quebec provincial police stopped a truck near Haskell Road early Sunday carrying 44 asylum seekers, including children and a pregnant woman.
• The migrants were transferred to the Canada Border Services Agency office in Stanstead before being moved to the Saint-Bernard-de-Lacolle regional processing centre for eligibility screening.
• Many of the migrants have already been returned to the United States or are likely to be sent back under the Safe Third Country Agreement due to lack of exemption.
• Three alleged smugglers, aged 25 to 31, face charges under the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act and remain detained pending court appearances.
• The interception follows a surge to over 3,089 asylum requests at Saint-Bernard-de-Lacolle in July, prompting Ottawa to allocate $1.3 billion for new officers and enhanced aerial surveillance.