‘Overwhelmed’: Manitoba community seeing influx of unauthorized border crossers
EMERSON, Man. — An increasing number of people seeking asylum are braving the elements of the open prairie to come into Canada from the United States, says the head of one small community that is calling for federal help to deal with the influx.
Last weekend alone, 22 people crossed the border from North Dakota into Emerson-Franklin, RCMP confirmed Tuesday. Nineteen were put up in a community hall where they were supervised and fed by officials and volunteers in the community of 2,000 residents.
“It’s starting to get overwhelmed here, and now we’re starting to have concerns that we maybe need to have more security or do something different,” said Greg Janzen, the municipality’s reeve.
“We will be sending a bill to (the federal government) because there is a cost to our ratepayers.”