The United Nations Refugee Agency, UNHCR, is slamming a proposal by the leader of the largest separatist party in Quebec to build a fence along a section of the Quebec-New York border used by asylum seekers to cross into Canada.

Parti Quebecois Leader Jean-Francois Lisee told reporters before a PQ caucus meeting the fence should go up at Roxham Road in Hemmingford, near the Saint-Bernard-de-Lacolle crossing, about 60 kilometres south of Montreal.

“We have the best known irregular road in the world,” Lisee said. “We have several good fence builders in Quebec, so we’re spoiled for choice.”

The PQ leader said asylum seekers have the right to turn up at the border but should do so at regular crossings in British Columbia, Ontario or New Brunswick so they are treated “humanely” and are more evenly distributed across the country.

When asked who would pay for the fence, Lisee quipped, “the Mexicans.”

“#Canada upholds basic principles of law & humanity at #Roxham #Quebec by allowing people crossing irregularly (and not illegally) to claim #asylum,” Jean-Nicolas Beuze, UNHCR representative in Canada, said in a Twitter reply to Lisee. “@JFLisee’s call to close Roxham is legally & morally wrong + practically impossible (9,000 km).”

#Canada upholds basic principles of law & humanity at #Roxham #Quebec by allowing people crossing irregularly (and not illegally) to claim #asylum.@JFLisee’s call to close Roxham is legally & morally wrong + practically impossible (9,000 km).

We stand #WithRefugees - do you? https://t.co/UbV2MzBXCn

— Jean-Nicolas Beuze (@jnbeuze) April 25, 2018

Later, after several media reported his remarks, Lisee took to Twitter to nuance his comments.

He then held another scrum after the caucus meeting and said Roxham Road should be blocked off “with a sign, a cedar hedge or a police officer” but only after asylum seekers have been told they can go elsewhere.

Reminded he had earlier used the word “fence,” Lisee said he meant “a small fence similar to the type found in schools.”

Canada is coping well

Waves of refugee claimants have arrived in Canada following threats by the U.S. government to oust them. (Charles Contant/CBC)

There is no need for a fence, Beuze said in a phone interview with Radio Canada International. There have been only about 20,000 irregular border crossings into Canada in 2017, he said.

(click to listen to the interview with Jean-Nicolas Beuze)

ListenEN_Interview_3-20180426-WIE30

"We have seen over the last year that the RCMP and the border authorities have been able to absorb this number and process those arriving, including through irregular manner, in a very efficient and effective manner, upholding the principle of law and morality," he said.

Beuze said the situation is closely tied to the so-called Third Safe Country agreement between Canada and the U.S., which forces asylum seekers to claim asylum in the first country they land in.

A large part of asylum seekers indicated to UNHCR that it was easier for them to obtain a U.S. visa, but that their final destination was always Canada, Beuze said.

"We have to understand when you're fleeing persecution or bombs falling on your house, you take the first door which is open," Beuze said. "If it happens to be an American visa, you take the American visa even if your intention is to come to Canada."

In addition, the Immigration Refugee Board of Canada, an independent quasi-judicial tribunal that hears asylum requests, grants asylum in nearly 60 per cent of all cases, which shows that most of the refugee claims are well-founded, he added.

Quebec says its resources are stretched

Asylum seekers wait to be transported to a processing centre after enter...