Ottawa planning processing centre for asylum seekers in Quebec near U.S. border

MONTREAL — Canadian authorities are planning to open a processing centre for asylum seekers near the United States border in Quebec in case there is a sharp rise in the number of would-be refugees entering Canada.

On Wednesday, the federal government published a notice seeking office space located within a 15-kilometre radius of the official border crossing in St-Bernard-de-Lacolle, Que., south of Montreal. Federal and provincial politicians have expressed concerns in recent weeks that U.S. President Donald Trump’s crackdown on migrants could lead to a surge of people trying to seek refuge in Canada.

The planned processing centre is part of contingency plans “in the event of an influx of asylum seekers,” the Canada Border Services Agency said in an email on Friday.

The notice from Public Services and Procurement Canada also specified that the building must be large enough to “accommodate an office space, a reception area, a meal distribution area and a waiting room with a capacity for 50 to 200 people.”

The government is looking for a 12-month lease for the facility starting around May 1, with the option to extend the contract.

In November, Quebec Premier François Legault raised concerns about the prospect of a “massive influx of immigrants” to the province due to Trump’s promises to launch a major operation to deport migrants.

However, despite the plans for a new asylum seeker processing centre, Canada Border Services Agency says it has not witnessed a sustained increase in would-be refugees entering the country. “From Sept. 18, 2024, to Jan. 18, 2025, there has been a daily average of 109 claims compared to a daily average of 212 claims for the same period a year ago,” it said in an email.

Ottawa has set aside $1.3 billion to increase border security in response to threats from Trump that he would impose steep tariffs on the country if it doesn’t address the flow of drugs and migrants into the U.S. As well, the Canadian government has said it has deployed 60 new drones along the border and will be adding more surveillance towers.

In 2023, Canada shut down an unofficial border crossing along a rural Quebec road that had been used by more than 100,000 migrants since 2017 to enter the country from the U.S.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Jan. 24, 2025.

Joe Bongiorno, The Canadian Press