Some Manitoba men helped two lost asylum seekers by taking them to a poker pool game in Emerson over the weekend.
Video obtained by CTV News shows someone greeting a man and a woman on the side of a road.
Tom Thomas was driving to the poker pool game when he spotted a man and woman crossing.
When Thomas offered them a ride in his van, they refused as they were too scared. Tim Hoffman, who was already at the game, walked over to meet the asylum seekers and led them to where they were playing.
He said the woman appeared to be senior, around 75 years of age, looked cold and had trouble walking.
Hoffman offered both of them cans of Pepsi and gave them cookies to eat until RCMP officers arrived.
RCMP brought the asylum seekers to the Canada Border Services Agency, where they are screened and processed.
Tom Thomas spotted 2 asylum seekers on way to pool game Sat night. Afraid to get van, Tim walked w/ them to game, called police. #ctvwpg pic.twitter.com/FxtVED2Px5
— Beth Macdonell (@BethCTV) April 5, 2017
CROSSINGS INCREASING AT DIFFERENT LOCATIONS, TIMES
More than 330 people have illegally entered Manitoba since Jan. 01, 2017, according to Reeve Greg Janzen.
He said that he remains concerned about the increasing number of crossings.
A source tells CTV News 23 people illegally crossed the border near Emerson since Saturday.
Janzen said in the past few weeks, asylum seekers are crossing in daylight more frequently and in locations – getting picked up in Dominion City, Piney and Tolstoi, all communities near Emerson.
He said given rising water levels, about 30 fire fighters from the Emerson and Dominion City fire department participated in water rescue training Monday.
The training was done to help prepare fire fighters in case asylum seekers got into trouble trekking through flooded fields.
Emerson-Franklin fire fighters prepare for worst w/ water rescue training. Asylum seekers' safety top priority as fields flood along border. pic.twitter.com/yYGmQ8vMV3
— Beth Macdonell (@BethCTV) April 4, 2017
He said he is disappointed the federal government is no longer providing timely updates and statistics on the number of crossings.
Scott Bardsley, press secretary for Ralph Goodale, Minister of Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness said in an email to CTV News that information will be released here.
"It takes time for the data to be prepared and for accuracy to be ensured," Bardsley said. "Data for March will be posted in due course."
HELPING ASYLUM SEEKERS IN WINNIPEG
Rita Chahal, executive director of Welcome Place, Manitoba's largest refugee settlement agency, said services remain stretched.
Staff have helped 347 asylum seekers make refugee claim since the start of the year.
Chahal said 79 of the claimants in March were from Somalia and 41 were from Djibouti. She said there have been people from Honduras, Haiti, and nine people from Bangladesh had also crossed and filed claims.
Major Rob Kerr said the Salvation Army has helped 164 asylum seekers since Feb. 18, including 28 children from 15 families. On average, he said asylum seekers stayed at the shelter for about two weeks.
