A woman is dead after trying to make the illegal trek into Canada along an unpatrolled part of the Canada – U.S. border.

The 57-year-old woman from Ghana is believed to have died from hypothermia. Her body was found near Emerson, Manitoba — a popular destination for migrants looking to bypass Canadian immigration rules and take advantage of our generous landed asylum program.

“It is believed (she) was attempting to enter Canada at the time of her death,” wrote the local Minnesota sheriff department in a statement.

For months, opposition voices have been calling on the Trudeau government to stop the flow of illegal migration along our southern border.

“This is unsafe. No one should consider doing this or aiding someone in doing so,” said Conservative MP and immigration critic Michelle Rempel in response to a report about illegal border crossings near Emerson, Manitoba.

But rather than condemn the illegal activity, rather than taking steps to secure the border and stop the record surge of illegal migration, the Trudeau government has refused to even acknowledge the problem.

Instead, Justin Trudeau has only encouraged more migrants to make the unsafe and illegal journey into Canada.

“Regardless of who you are or where you come from, there’s always a place for you in Canada,” declared Trudeau’s official government of Canada Twitter account in March.

Not only is this information untrue — a person’s country of origin is key in determining whether he or she is a real refugee — the message also encourages more unsafe and illegal immigration.

It provides false hope, and creates an incentive to make dangerous and risky choices to come to Canada. Too often — as we saw with the woman from Ghana — aspiring migrants never make it to their desired destination.

This, unfortunately, is a common phenomenon. Globally, thousands of migrants die each year while trying to illegally cross into safe countries.

Instead of going through the established channels for refugees — registering through the United Nations, being placed in temporary accommodations and waiting to be resettled into a host country — these migrants take it upon themselves to find a new home.

They pay human smugglers large sums of cash to break local and international laws, often putting themselves and their families at great risk.

According to the UN High Commissioner for Refugees, 2016 was the deadliest year ever for migrant deaths. At least 4,000 people were confirmed to have died in the Mediterranean Sea alone while making the dangerous journey towards Europe.

Our leaders should be doing everything in their power to stop migrants from putting their lives at risk.

They should make it clear that migrants who arrive illegally, those who use human traffickers to circumvent immigration laws, will be turned away.

Australia has been criticized for circulating immigration posters that tell illegal migrants not to come to Australia.

“NO WAY, you will not make Australia home” reads one poster in large letters. “The Australian Government has introduced the toughest border protection measures ever.”

The poster explains that those who arrive in ships will not get special treatment and will not be able to bypass Australia’s immigration laws. “No matter who you are or where you are from, you will not make Australia home.”

The poster hammers home, in no uncertain terms, that Australia does not tolerate illegal and dangerous migration.

Australia’s warnings may seem harsh; but they save lives. Canada’s virtue-signaling, by contrast, may seem compassionate, but it puts lives at risk.