Border Agency Aware of Asylum Seekers Reportedly Receiving Free Bus Tickets From NY to Canadian Border

An RCMP officer informs a migrant couple of the location of an official border station, shortly before they illegally crossed from New York to Quebec via Roxham Road, on Aug. 7, 2017. AP Photo/Charles Krupa, File

The Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) says it’s aware of asylum-seekers from the United States reportedly being given free bus tickets to take them to a part of New York state from which they can easily travel into Canada.

“The CBSA is aware of these reports and remains in contact with the U.S. when it comes to matters of irregular migration,” the federal agency said in an email to The Epoch Times on Feb. 6.

“Out of respect for the law and for their own personal safety, we encourage all those coming to Canada to enter at an official port of entry.”

The New York Post reported that some migrants in New York City are being given free tickets to Plattsburgh, N.Y., which is about 35 kilometres south of the Quebec border.

From Plattsburgh, migrants reportedly can travel about 30 minutes by shuttle or taxi to cross into Quebec at Roxham Road, an unofficial border crossing frequently used by asylum-seekers trying to dodge the Safe Third Country agreement that prevents Canada from accepting refugee claims of those who had first entered the United States.

The CBSA says it continues to work closely with the RCMP; Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC); and the United States to ensure “the lawful, safe, and humane treatment of asylum-seekers while ensuring the security of our borders.”

The Epoch Times reached out to IRCC for comment, but it deferred questions to the CBSA.

The RCMP’s Quebec division told The Epoch Times that it would “not disclose such information” when asked if it was aware of migrants being bused to the border.

Roxham Road

New York City Mayor Eric Adams recently said his administration helps in the “re-ticketing process” for migrants arriving in the city who want to go elsewhere, but added that they are not forced or pressured to leave.

Adams said some individuals express a desire to leave the city for other places—including Canada.

His office also said it treats requests for bus tickets to Plattsburgh the same as it would for bus-ticket requests to go to other American cities.

The RCMP intercepted around 34,800 people trying to cross into Canada from the United States at unofficial ports of entry between January and November 2022, according to IRCC.

Throughout 2021, during which Roxham Road was closed because of the COVID-19 pandemic, the RCMP intercepted just over 4,200 individuals attempting to enter Canada at unofficial entry points.

Quebec’s Immigration Minister Christine Fréchette recently said she was “surprised” New York is providing migrants with free bus tickets taking them just south of the Canadian border, and called on Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s government to focus on a solution for Roxham Road.

The Canadian Press, Noé Chartier, and Andrew Chen contributed to this report.