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MISSISSAUGA, Ont. — If Maxime Bernier becomes prime minister, his People’s Party of Canada would be “fencing off the areas” along the border used by illegal migrants, notably Roxham Road, which connects New York State and Quebec, the party leader announced at a campaign event Wednesday evening.

“Build a fence. Build a fence,” chanted one supporter, Michael Cieslinski, a child and youth support worker who was streaming the speech to his YouTube channel.

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When asked in an interview after his speech who would pay for the fence, Bernier emphasized that the fencing would just be for problem spots. “It’s not a wall. It’s a fence. There’s no cost for that…. It’s a question of declaring our sovereignty.”

Bernier also said in his speech that he will reduce the total intake of immigrants and refugees to between 100,000 and 150,000 annually, depending on economic circumstances, which is significantly lower than the federal Liberals’ target of 350,000 per year. He also said he will outlaw “birth tourism,” a practice in which foreign travellers come to Canada to deliver children as a way to secure citizenship. He promised to increase the proportion of economic immigrants to non-economic-class immigrants and require immigration applicants to go through face-to-face interviews to assess the extent to which they align with Canadian values.