Border agents diverted to help with asylum influx; union fears travel delays
OTTAWA — Border security officers are being diverted from across Canada to help with an anticipated spike in the number of asylum seekers crossing irregularly into Quebec.
The Canada Border Services Agency has sent memos across the country advising that agents from other regions will be in Quebec May 28-Sept. 16 to help deal with the influx of refugee claimants crossing the Canada-U.S. border at unofficial entry points.
The measure could mean staff shortages causing delays at major airports like Toronto, Montreal and Vancouver, as well as land ports like Windsor and Niagara Falls, said Jean-Pierre Fortin, national president of the Customs and Immigration Union.
Security issues could also be an issue, Fortin warned.