FREDERICTON – The mayor of Fredericton says he would like the New Brunswick capital to become a sanctuary city — opening its doors to anyone seeking refuge in Canada.

“What it theoretically means is we’re an open city for any … undocumented refugee that hasn’t got citizenship status,” Mayor Mike O’Brien said Wednesday.

Although not a major destination for illegal immigration, Fredericton has welcomed more Syrian refugees per capita than any other Canadian city, according to the New Brunswick Multicultural Association.

O’Brien said it might make more sense for the province to be declared a sanctuary province, since it would bear many of the responsibilities for caring for refugees, like education and health care.

The number of refugee claimants that illegally crossed into the province from the United States increased significantly last year, with 23 at the border in 2016.

Crossings are increasing at an alarming rate across Canada, with Quebec and Manitoba the most popular crossing points for dozens of people who have made the trek into those provinces by foot.

“If they present themselves where Canadian Border Services is located, they’ll be turned back to the U.S., so they’re crossing at places where there aren’t established border crossings,” multicultural association executive director Alex LeBlanc said.

Declaring itself a sanctuary city means Fredericton would welcome any asylum seeker, including illegal immigrants.

(Global News)