Justin Trudeau says Canada will continue to accept asylum seekers from the US

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau on Tuesday, (21 February) said that Canada will continue to take asylum seekers from the United States and has promised to step up security measures to keep Canadians safe.

Trudeau told parliament that "one of the reasons why Canada remains an open country is Canadians trust our immigration system and the integrity of our borders and the help we provide people who are looking for safety."

"We will continue to strike that balance between a rigorous system and accepting people who need help," he added.

In recent weeks, Canada has seen an increase in the number of refugees crossing into the country at unguarded borders amid increasing fears about Donald Trump cracking down on illegal immigrants, according to Reuters.

The number of individuals making refugee claims at the US border with Quebec increased from 137 in January last year to 452 in January, 2017.

On Monday, Canadian police said that they have increased their presence at the Quebec border and added that border officials created temporary centre for refugees to process the asylum seekers.

However, the right wing Conservatives expressed dismay at Trudeau's policy and asked him to limit the flow of refugees from the US due to security fears.

The government of Canada on Tuesday also announced that it had taken about 400 Yazidi refugees and plans to take 800 more of them by the end of 2017.

"Many have experienced unimaginable trauma and vulnerability, both physical and emotional, and many will have unique physical, psychological and social needs, such as trauma counselling," Immigration Minister Ahmed Hussen told reporters at a news conference, according to CBC.

Meanwhile, the Trump administration could soon unveil a new version of the executive order on immigration.