Canadian police do not expect immediate problems, but they are still preparing for the "worst possible scenario" if asylum seekers who are scared or threatened by the victory of Donald Trump in the presidential elections push the border with the United States.

Canada is already facing a record number of immigrants, which is why Ottawa decided to reduce the annual quotas for granting residence permits.

Trump announced in the campaign that if he becomes president, he will carry out the largest mass deportation of illegal immigrants in the history of the United States. Already to the first statements in this direction, the Canadian security services reacted with appropriate plans.

"We already knew a few months ago that we had to prepare a plan, because if he comes to power, and he will come in a few months, it could trigger a wave of illegal and irregular migration to the province of Quebec and to Canada in general," said Sergeant Charles Poirier of the Royal mounted police.

The worst-case scenario, he said, would be large numbers of people entering Canadian territory everywhere.

- Let's say we have a hundred people a day crossing the border, it will be difficult, because our officers will have to cover long distances to detain them all - says the sergeant.

When Trump began his first term in January 2017, thousands of asylum seekers from America crossed into Canada through regular border crossings to seek asylum as refugees. Most of them burdened Roxham Road, where the states of New York and Quebec border. Canada and the United States have now expanded the bilateral agreement, meaning that asylum seekers who try to cross the border anywhere along the 8.891 kilometer stretch will be turned back.

To qualify for asylum in Canada, illegal migrants would have to cross the border undetected and hide for at least two weeks. Activists for the protection of migrants' rights claim that it is difficult to do and very dangerous, but also that people are already doing it.

- If you do not create legitimate paths or when you only create paths along which it is impossible to guarantee the safety of people, you know, unfortunately, people will try to do the impossible - says Abdullah Daoud, director of the Refugee Center in Montreal.

Sergeant Poiret says Canadian police are willing to hire more patrol capacity along the border line, which could mean deploying hundreds more officers, as well as renting buses and properties.

– All eyes are now on the border. We are on alert and we will remain on alert in the weeks ahead - Poiret told Reuters.

In July, almost 20.000 people applied for refugee asylum in Canada, which is a historical record. In September, the wave subsided to 16.400 asylum seekers, but Canadian authorities are already processing more than 250.000 asylum applications.

Ottawa authorities strictly limit the number of temporary and permanent residence permits, but have no control over the number of asylum seekers.

– Trump's election will affect Canada. We will see more people across borders, showing up in cities and asking for help - says Lolly Rocco from the Refugee Center in Toronto.

She especially fears severe consequences during the winter, recalling that in 2022 a family of four died of cold while trying to cross the border near Emerson in Manitoba.

Immigration Minister Mark Miller says the government in Ottawa "has a plan" to deal with the wave of asylum seekers, but did not elaborate.

"The Department of Migration will continue to prepare and consider all possible scenarios and the approach will be in the interest of Canada and its residents," Miller's office said.