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Surrey RCMP is reporting an increase in people illegally crossing the border at 0 Avenue seeking asylum in Canada.

Cpl. Scotty Schumann said police were called as recently as Dec. 22 to a report of a man seeking refugee status after making the crossing.

READ MORE: 2 border jumpers stopped in Surrey

“That asylum seeker was waiting on 174th and 4th Avenue when he was approached by police,” Schumann said.

“We took him into custody under the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act and transported him to Canadian Border Services where these people are dealt with.”

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Schumann said the force has seen a growing number of asylum seekers illegally crossing the border in recent years.

Nearly 50 people were intercepted by B.C. Mounties when seeking asylum in November alone, and the RCMP has intercepted more than 675 making the crossing in the first 11 months of the year according to the federal government.

B.C. trails only Manitoba, with nearly 1,000 and Quebec, with nearly 17,000 asylum seeker interceptions so far this year.