Quebec’s immigration minister says she’s “surprised” to learn that New York City is helping provide free bus tickets to migrants heading north to seek asylum in Canada.
Christine Fréchette says the story highlights the need for Ottawa to resolve the issue of Roxham Road, which is an unofficial border crossing south of Montreal. It was used by tens of thousands of people last year to seek asylum.
New York City Mayor Eric Adams told the Fox 5 television station Monday morning that his administration is helping with the “ticket redistribution process” for people arriving in the city but wanting to go elsewhere.
He said the City is not pushing or forcing people to leave, but some are expressing a desire to go elsewhere, including to Canada.
Free tickets
His comments come after the New York Post reported that some migrants in New York are given free tickets to Plattsburgh, from where they travel about half an hour by shuttle or taxi to reach Quebec via Roxham Road.
An official from Mayor Adams’ office clarified that the City does not process bus ticket requests to Plattsburgh any differently than those to other US cities.
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