The end of Roxham Road where thousands of asylum seekers have crossed into Canada is seen Friday, March 20, 2020 in Hemmingford, Que.THE CANADIAN PRESS/Ryan Remiorz
MONTREAL – A man has been found dead near an unofficial border crossing south of Montreal that is used by thousands of asylum seekers each year to cross into Canada from the United States.
Quebec provincial police say the man’s body was found at about 2:45 p.m. on Wednesday in a wooded area in St-Bernard-de-Lacolle, near Roxham Road.
Sûreté du Québec spokesman Louis-Philippe Ruel says police can’t confirm the person’s identity or nationality and do not know whether he had crossed the border from neighbouring New York state.
He also did not say whether the body showed signs of violence or give any indication of the cause of death.
The death comes as the number of people crossing at Roxham Road to claim asylum has surged in the past year.
RCMP apprehended 34,478 asylum seekers who entered Quebec between official ports of entry between January and November of 2022.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Jan. 5, 2023.
