MONTREAL—Conservative leadership candidate Steven Blaney says Canada must act immediately to stop illegal immigrants from entering the country.

Blaney is proposing a series of measures he believes will make the border airtight.

They include giving Canadian authorities the right to immediately hand over illegal immigrants to their American counterparts.

He also wants the government to hire an additional 200 RCMP officers and an extra 200 agents at the Canada Border Services Agency.

Blaney told a news conference in Montreal today the new hires would cost about $40 million.

The MP for Bellechasse-Les Etchemins-Levis is also calling on cities to fully co-operate with authorities, especially with regard to illegal immigrants who have criminal records.

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