A sharp increase in refugees from the United States has strained Canada’s immigration resources, Canadian police said Monday. In January, 452 people made refugee claims in Quebec after crossing the U.S.-Canada border, the Canadian Border Services Agency said. In 2016, only 137 people made refugee claims in Quebec after leaving the U.S. The CBSA and the Royal Canadian Mounted Police said they were reassigning officers and converting buildings into refugee-processing centers to handle the influx. Under Canadian immigration policy, refugees caught crossing the border are detained and questioned. If they are determined not to pose a risk, they are allowed to apply for asylum in the country.
