A mother and her child are taken into custody by Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) officers after crossing U.S.-Canada border into Hemmingford, Quebec, Canada February 20, 2017. REUTERS/Christinne Muschi
HEMMINGFORD, Quebec (Reuters) - Canadian police said on Monday they have bolstered their presence at the Quebec border and border authorities have created a temporary refugee centre to process a growing number of asylum seekers crossing from the United States.
The Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) said at a news conference that it has converted an unused basement into a refugee claimant processing centre. Both the border agency and the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) are reassigning staff from other locations in the province, as needed, to accommodate rising demand.
