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Quebec employees of the Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada (IRB) say they are totally overwhelmed by the volume of refugee claims and are imploring Prime Minister Justin Trudeau for more resources to handle them.

In a letter obtained by La Presse, the union representing IRB employees told Trudeau on Friday that workers do not have the means to process claims and render decisions within an acceptable timeframe.

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More than 14,000 asylum seekers have crossed the border into Canada illegally since February, many of them through the Lacolle border crossing. Those files have been piled on top of the regular number of demands for asylum. More than 27,000 cases were reported to the IRB between March and September.

In its letter, the union noted that represents a nearly 250-per-cent increase over previous years.