MONTREAL — Police in Quebec have called off a land search for three migrants thought to be missing in woods near the U.S. border southwest of Montreal after learning they may have actually been picked up by a vehicle.
Provincial police say they received the new information suggesting the woman and two young children are no longer in the search area near Godmanchester, Que., a small municipality that borders New York state.
They say efforts to meet the migrants are continuing.
RCMP had said the trio attempted to enter Canada with two men and a woman who were arrested late Wednesday night after crossing the border illegally.
RCMP Cpl. Martina Pillarova said police interviewed the three people caught and were told a woman and two young children were missing in the forest.
Officers began searching the area, located 65 kilometres southwest of Montreal, shortly after midnight when temperatures were just above freezing.
They were being assisted by a tracking dog, a helicopter and resources from the Quebec provincial police.
No other information was available about the individuals who were thought to be missing. The three who were apprehended were placed in the custody of the Canada Border Services Agency.
Officials have reported a rise in the number of asylum seekers heading to the border with Canada since U.S. President Donald Trump took office in January.
According to CBSA data from this week, the trend continues at the official border crossing at St-Bernard-de-Lacolle, south of Montreal.
As of April 13, the number of claims this month stood at 1,411, compared to 319 on the same date last year.
The number of claims has been on the rise since the beginning of the year. In March, the CBSA reported 1,356 asylum claims, compared to 822 in 2024.
"To address this situation, additional resources have been put in place to ensure safe and secure border management," the CBSA said in a statement. "This number has no impact on the processing of travellers at the port of entry."
This report by The Canadian Press was first published April 17, 2025.
Sidhartha Banerjee, The Canadian Press
