Move To Canada? US To Fight Increase Of Asylum Seekers Crossing Border Illegally

Asylum seekers crossing the U.S.-Canadian border illegally may want to reconsider their move up north as officials from both countries aim to control the entry of these people coming into Canada. Officials intend to discuss border control and the increase of asylum seekers in Canada when U.S. Homeland Security Secretary John Kelly visits Ottawa in early March, Reuters reported Wednesday.

Both sides have previously met to figure out how to tackle border issues and obtain more information on those fleeing the U.S. into Canada, an anonymous source told the news agency. Canada saw an increase in asylum seekers at the border in January hitting a high of 452 claims in comparison to 137 claims in January 2016 and 46 in January 2015. The past six months have seen increases in certain areas, with as many as 19 people crossing in one day, Canadian authorities told ABC News.

"[The numbers are] very, very surprising. It doesn't appear to be slowing down. I don't think it’s going to be slowing down in the near future, at least not this year,” immigration lawyer and vice president of the Quebec Immigration Lawyers Association Eric Taillefer said.

Many of the immigrants entering Canada illegally originated from countries in the Middle East and Africa and are leaving the U.S. as a result of President Donald Trump’s motives and aggression toward illegal immigration. A number of these people are also not accustomed to the colder weather experienced in Canada, making adaptation and survival more difficult.

"Unfortunately, some individuals who are illegally entering Canada are not aware of the extreme weather conditions and geography they may encounter which can have dire effects to their well-being,” a Royal Canadian Mounted Police spokesperson told ABC News.

An executive order signed by Trump in January to ban immigration into the U.S. from seven Muslim-majority countries for 120 days sparked controversy throughout the country. Following the ban, several reports surfaced about individuals with Middle Eastern-sounding names getting detained by U.S. Customs at airports including late boxer Muhammed Ali's son, Muhammed Ali Jr. and U.S. Olympic fencer Ibtihaj Muhammad.