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OTTAWA — A tent city erected in Cornwall, Ont. was never used, and that city’s conference centre is emptying of its temporary residents as the flow of illegal migrants into Canada ebbs. However, the federal government is trying to pre-empt another such crisis flaring up in winter by stepping up its south-of-the-border outreach, and looking into acquiring heated trailers.

Thousands of people have recently crossed illegally — or irregularly, as the government puts it — into Quebec, many of them Haitians afraid the United States will end a temporary protection program that had been put into place after a devastating 2010 earthquake.

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From a volume of 250 people every day a couple of weeks ago, the number of migrants crossing the border daily has dropped to about 100. That has stayed steady for a little over a week, said Scott Bardsley, a spokesman for public safety minister Ralph Goodale.

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“Nonetheless, while the number of people coming to seek asylum has somewhat moderated recently, we cannot be complacent. It is far too soon (to) determine a trend,” he said. “While Canada is an open society that manages immigration in an orderly way, we do not condone irregular migration. Entering Canada illegally is not a free ticket; those seeking refuge here must follow the proper processes.”