By: Nicolas Di Nardo
Desperate migrants are still making a run for it to Canada’s border. Since Trump took over the highest office, a tiny dead end on Roxham Road looks to have become the favourite non-official border crossing for tons of people looking for refuge. On Sunday alone, approximately 400 people crossed over the border using Roxham Road, according to U.S. and Canadian officials.
Every person to cross at Roxham Road, enters Canada with the hope that it will be the answer to their problems, most of which stem from the current political climate in the United States. What they probably don’t expect, is to be greeted by the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) and Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) officers with handcuffs, ready to arrest them. However, they are only cuffed for a moment, now that Canadian police have set up a reception centre in the Saint-Bernard-de-Lacolle area of Quebec, so that migrants can be processed, given food, and assistance to help prepare their applications for refuge. They even have shuttle busses ready to transport everyone, and will soon be adding electricity and portable toilets. Just this week, they have also started to add tents to accommodate more people, and are looking to add lighting and heat.
Interestingly enough, even though these migrants are entering Canada at an unofficial location (not a legal port of entry), they are legally allowed to request refugee status as a result. A little quirk in the application of the law has caused this, but whoever was the first to come to this realization, using Roxham Road as an entry point, had to have done some research beforehand. If they were to try to enter Canada from the U.S. using a port of entry, they would have been denied entry and told to apply for refugee status in the U.S. as a result. The law, under the 2002 Safe Country Agreement between Canada and the U.S. states that if migrants are seeking asylum, they must apply to the first country they arrive in. Since people are entering Canada through a non-official point of entry, they are not being denied or told to turn back, instead, they are given the opportunity to apply for refugee status.
Many Migrants have decided to seek refuge in Canada because of Trump’s bans and clear dislike of majority-Muslim countries, because they do not see the U.S. as they used to, as a safe haven. Instead, Canada has now become their idea of a safe haven.
Taking a chance and staying in the U.S. with the risk of being sent back to their respective countries was not attractive for many, and the risk they took to get to Canada and cross the border was and is a better option. A number of migrants have said that they are seeking a better life, and if they are forced to go back, they will be in more trouble than they are currently.
With the increase in numbers of people entering Canada, last week it was announced that shelter will be available in Montreal’s Olympic Stadium, however, if people would like to go on their own and seek their own housing, they are welcome to do so. If they require assistance, they are also able to reach out to the government. For now, until their applications are processed and approved, they are free to live in Canada and do what they choose.
If you have any questions regarding requirements needed for asylum, citizenship, or general immigration inquires please contact our Toronto Immigration Lawyers, or call us directly at 416-449-1400.
