Canadian authorities intercepted a group of 44 asylum seekers and three alleged smugglers in Quebec near the Derby Line border crossing.
The near-50 arrests took place between Saturday night and Sunday morning.
The Canadian Border Services Agency, or CBSA, has charged the alleged smugglers for facilitating illegal entry of people into the country.
In a statement, the CBSA said the “investigation is ongoing” and that most of the asylum seekers were transferred to a refugee processing center in Saint-Bernard-de-Lacolle.
The agency did not immediately respond to a question about where the remaining asylum seekers are located. It also did not say their countries of origin.
The CBC reported Monday that several people were expected to return to the United States.
According to the CBSA, the province of Quebec has processed nearly 15,000 asylum applications so far this year. That’s compared to over 22,000 applications in the same period last year.
