MONTREAL—The number of asylum seekers caught crossing illegally into Canada continues to rise, according to newly released figures.

The Canada Border Services Agency says that nearly half of the 1,860 migrants who have snuck across the Canada-United States border on foot rather than making a claim for refugee status at an official border crossing did so in March.

In total, 887 people were intercepted by the RCMP crossing the border last month, up one-third from the 658 who were arrested in February and more than double the 315 caught crossing in January.

In a statement, Public Security Minister Ralph Goodale’s office said that while the figures have risen, they are still relatively small and have not affected other aspects of the immigration system.

“Canadian authorities are managing the increase in asylum seekers in a sound and measured way, applying our laws and procedures to keep Canadians safe while fully respecting all of this country’s international obligations,” the statement said.

The rise in asylum seekers crossing the border illegally continued to be the most spectacular in Quebec, which has become Ground Zero for worried migrants fleeing the threat of harsh new immigration policies and an uptick in deportation activities in the United States.

For the month of March, 644 people crossed the border into the province of Quebec — a 50-per-cent increase from February, when 432 people crossed illegally into Quebec.

But numbers of asylum seekers crossing into Manitoba — where some have suffered severe injuries and amputations due to the harsh prairie winters—showed signs of levelling off, with only 170 RCMP interceptions, compared to 142 in February.

Officials have anticipated that the end of winter could lead to a spring flood of people crossing the border. In Quebec, the main YMCA shelter that offers emergency beds and health services to newly arrived refugees has warned earlier this month that it may require increased funding if it is to cope with the increased demand.

The statement from Goodale’s office said that the CBSA and the Mounties have made “internal adjustments” to deal with the situation in recent months and will continue to do so.

“As the situation evolves, these professional organizations will advise as to what extra resources may be required.”

Immigration lawyers and refugee advocates have called on Prime Minister Justin Trudeau to suspend the 2004 Safe Third Country Agreement with the United States, which aims to clear backlogs by forcing asylum seekers from filing their claim in the country in which they first arrive.

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The law does not apply to those who arrive in the United States and sneak across the border to make their claim while already on Canadian soil.

Government officials have raised the matter with their American counterparts, but have the Safe Third Country Agreement when questioned about it in the House of Commons.

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