On Christmas evening, nineteen migrants of Haitian descent were apprehended in the Havelock area of Montérégie for crossing into Canada from the United States without authorization. Among them were individuals aged from one to 60, including a three-year-old child.
The Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) were informed by the United States Border Patrol just before 6 p.m. on Thursday.
The RCMP disclosed that a group of 15 individuals, concealed in the woods, was discovered by officers from the Champlain Integrated Border Police Team (IBPT) with the assistance of officers from the Valleyfield IBPT, shortly before 7 p.m.
The search for the remaining individuals continued until approximately 10:30 p.m. on that bitterly cold evening.
Eight of the migrants were transported to a hospital, six of whom required treatment for frostbite, as per the RCMP.
Authorities confirmed that the two young children were also taken to the hospital as a precautionary measure, with their lives not deemed to be in immediate danger.
All individuals intercepted have submitted asylum applications, now under the jurisdiction of the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA).
In a separate incident, a man was apprehended by patrol officers suspected of intending to pick up some of the migrants with his car near the scene. His vehicle was seized.
The RCMP emphasized the extreme risks involved in attempting to cross the border illegally, particularly during winter when individuals are often ill-prepared for the harsh weather conditions.
