About 19 undocumented Haitian migrants were arrested in southern Quebec this week after they illegally entered Canada from the US on foot in extreme cold. The Royal Canadian Mounted Police said they began the search operation after they received a report from the US Border Patrol that some people crossed the border on foot. After an hour-long search, officials found 15 people hiding in the woods near Havelock, Quebec, around 53 kilometres south of Montreal. “The search continued until about 10:30 p.m., in extreme cold, to find the remaining individuals,” the RCMP said in an emailed statement.The migrants are of Haitian origin and range in age from one to 60, police said, adding that they have all requested asylum. Eight of the migrants were transported to a hospital. Six of those people required treatment for frostbite, police said, adding that two young children who were with the group were taken to a hospital as a precaution.Another man was arrested under the Customs Act, police said, as he was believed to be the person who was supposed to pick up the migrants in his vehicle. “People who cross illegally are often poorly equipped and inadequately dressed for the weather. The terrain is also very difficult to access in certain areas,” the police said. Havelock is about 20 km from the now-closed Roxham Road crossing, which saw tens of thousands of asylum seekers enter Canada before it was closed in 2023.The incident has sparked a major row as Canadians claimed that now that these illegals claimed asylum, they will be allowed to stay in hotels for which the taxpayers are paying.
