The new rules have not completely ended the arrival of asylum seekers, as at least twenty people entered the country via this Montérégie road on Saturday morning.
Several migrants who had made it to the border learned on the same day that regulations had changed in the last few hours, a few kilometers from their dream of a new life. They are shocked, unsure of what will happen next for them and the people who accompany them.
Heartbreaking scenes and confusion at the United States border. The announcement of the closure of Roxham Road prompted many migrants to rush there hoping to cross the border before midnight when the new Canada-United States deal goes into effect. Since then, almost 270 of them have tried their luck. Marie-Isabelle Rochon traveled to the American side of the border.
Among them, a Cameroonian interviewed on the American side of the border was more philosophical about the deal, which is redrawing the rules of the game along the nearly 9,000-kilometer Canada-US border.
“If nature has allowed me to come here, it is because I can have a future here. For me and my children that I left behind in Africa. »
— A quote from A migrant from Cameroon who did not give his name
The man, in his 30s, undertook a very long journey, crossing seven countries and seeing people die.
You know, we don’t know what to expect. We’re looking for the best, that’s all, he said.
Was he concerned about being told he would be sent back to the United States if his situation did not meet the exceptions provided for in the ETPS? He puts everything in God’s hands if he is sent back to the United States, adding that the only way he can accept it is if he has to return to the United States.
Why are we saying Roxham Road is closed?
Although Roxham Road is not blocked by a physical obstacle such as a For example, when a fence is blocked, we still use the verb close to describe its condition, as governments have done recently. Due to changes to the Safe Third Countries Agreement, people crossing Canada as asylum seekers are now deported to the United States, with some exceptions.
Local authorities skeptical
On the American side of the border, local authorities were surprised by the announcement that Roxham Road would be closed. If they’ve been looking for a solution for a while, they wish they had more time to prepare, said New York State Legislature Billy Jones. He traveled to the border on Saturday to see how things were going and to ask the US government to allocate resources to the region to deal with people who are no longer able to travel to Canada. He was accompanied by a representative from the city of Plattsburgh.
“Announcing the closure of this road with 10 or 12 hours’ notice could create problems for communities living along the Canada-US border. »
— A quote from New York State Legislator Billy Jones
Concern for migrants stranded in the United States
The news came so quickly that American organizations and associations helping migrants did not have time to find solutions for the many people who will return to American soil.
It will take resources to house and feed all of these migrants, they say.
The organizations have updated the information on their website, but people on the street do not always have access to up-to-date information.
This is what happened to a small family who left Colombia two months ago and arrived on Roxham Road on Saturday morning. The trio had been out for two months and were therefore unaware of the move. The closure of the Canadian border surprised the parents and their toddler.
The journey was long and expensive, said Samara, another migrant who showed up after the road was closed. The young woman said she didn’t know what would happen to her in the next few hours.
arrested
It was officers from the Royal Canadian Mounted Police who made the arrests on Roxham Road in Montérégie. (file photo)
Photo: The Canadian Press/Jonathan Hayward
Once asylum seekers cross the border, Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) officers warn them that if they advance any further, they will be arrested.
The planned procedure is to bring all people crossing the border illegally to a detention center in Saint-Bernard-de-Lacolle. Once there, they will be met by a border guard who will decide their fate, Me Stéphane Duval, national head of immigration law practice at McCarthy Tétrault, told Téléjournal on Saturday.
In cases where asylum seekers are not allowed to enter the country, they are escorted by car and handed over to US Customs officials.
exceptions
The amendment provides for exceptional cases. For example, an unaccompanied minor will not be returned to the United States, migrants with Canadian-resident family members or those with official papers such as a work permit or study permit will be admitted to the country.
We’re talking about extended family, the lawyer continued, be it a parent, child, brother, sister, nephew or niece. However, the asylum seeker should be able to prove this.
Finally, another exception concerns persons sentenced to death in the United States. You are allowed to remain on Canadian soil.
The new deal won’t stop migrants from entering Canada outside of official ports of entry, say immigration groups this side of the border.
Restricting border access and preventing migrants from accessing a safe route to Canada will only encourage some individuals, Abdulla Daoud, executive director of the Montreal-based refugee center, said yesterday.
This type of decision-making has led to the creation of numerous smuggling networks in the past, Mr Daoud pointed out in an interview with The Canadian Press.
Canada never really had to deal with it, he added, but I think we’ll see the numbers go up now because these bad guys aren’t going away.
With information from Marie Isabelle Rochon, CBC and The Canadian Press