Why the closing of the US-Canada border plunges migrants into despair | DW News

[Music] you might be familiar with these images from   the southern U.S border immigrants on  mass crossing without documents [Music]   but did you know that this was also happening  at the northern U.S border immigrants have   been Crossing from the U.S into Canada in  record numbers in the past year [Music]   now this border is close to two [Music]   the thousands of immigrants that have already  entered the US with Canada in mind as their final   goal are stuck on the streets of Northern U.S  cities like Buffalo New York and Portland in Maine   so is this the site of the United States next  immigrant crisis [Carolina Chimoy - DW Reporter] these migrants were in Mexico until recently they lived there under very poor  conditions until they had enough and crossed   over to the United States most of them without  documents [ Andrew Selee - Migration Policy Institute] If someone is is detained trying to cross the border between ports of Entry between  legal entry points um they can now be deported to   their country of origin um which is a lot tougher  actually at the same time opened up appointments   at ports of entry for people to come in and apply  for Asylum and they're taking in a thousand four   hundred fifty people a day which is when you add  it up is actually quite a large number of people   these men have been walking for months Crossing  almost eight countries from Venezuela with just   one goal in mind to get into the United States  but their problems don't end once they are here "We’re afraid. Look at this. I  can’t even walk anymore. Only   little steps. If the border policy  catches me, I can’t even run.” the lane separating the US and Canada is the  world's longest and protected international border   the total boundary of almost 9 000 kilometers  between the two countries has around 100 official   ports of entry and between them many unofficial  Crossings like this one known as roxham road which   lies at the border between New York State and  the Canadian province of Quebec so this is the   path that the migrants used to take to cross  to Canada they would walk down this way they   would be processed over there at that facility but  now this is the limit no one is allowed to cross   the closure of roxham Road in April along  with all an official border crossings came   after months of talks the reason the  number of immigrants using the us as a   Transit country to get into Canada had  increased tenfold from the year before in 2021 only 4 000 immigrants entered through  an official border crossings into Canada   just one year later in 2022 40 000  immigrants entered Canada from the   U.S using an official border  crossings an all-time record Now official Crossing points between Canada  and the US have been strictly regulated by a   treaty known as the safe Third Country agreement  under this agreement immigrants seeking Refugee   status must first make their claim in the first  safe country they arrive which would be the U.S   unofficial Crossing points like ruxham Road  used to represent the loophole in the regulation   the Canadians do not want to be the Americans  I mean you know there are a lot of similarities   between Canadians and Americans but on immigration  they have kept this out of politics for the most   part that is until March of this year when U.S  president visited Canada at a press conference   Biden and Canadian Prime Minister Justin  Trudeau announced the expansion of the safe   Third Country agreement to include unofficial  Crossings as well we will now apply the safe   Third Country agreement to Asylum Seekers  who cross between official points of Entry   after midnight tonight police and Border officers  will enforce the agreement and return irregular   border crossers to the closest port of entry with  the United States the complete closure of the U.S   Canadian border for immigrants seeking Asylum  was issued via executive order however it does   not have the support of everyone in Ottawa some  members of the Canadian Parliament were caught by   surprise after the executive decision of  closing border crossings like the one in   wrexham road now they're putting their government  Under Pressure to change this as soon as possible   Jennifer Kwan is a member of the new  Democratic Party of Canada she has   been following the Roxanne Road matter from  the beginning [Jennifer Kwan - New Democratic Party (NDP) ] I was very dismayed that the liberal government the prime minister decided  to apply the safer country agreement to the   entire border between Canada and the United  States on land by doing that effectively they   shut down the entire border for Asylum Seekers  and is really no different than what the Trump   Administration tried to do by erecting a wall  for Asylum seekers in this instance what the   Canadian government has done is to erect an  invisible wall to block out Asylum Seekers Canadian left wing and peace are not  the only ones who oppose the deal   parts of Civil Society in Canada are also outraged  by the decision human rights groups like Amnesty   International the Canadian Council for refugees  and others have sued the government for violating   part of Canada's Charter of Rights the case was  heard in Canada's Supreme Court which in June   ruled the Supreme Court of Canada has unanimously  ruled to uphold the safe Third Country agreement   between Canada and the United States now that  agreement makes it illegal for refugees the   blowback was immediate good afternoon bonjour  human rights groups condemned the decision. [Gauri Sreenivasan, Canadian Council for Refugees] The U.S is not a safe country for refugees and our  organizations have brought overwhelming evidence   that sending people who are seeking safety here  back to the U.S causes serious violations of   Rights rights that are protected both under the  Canadian Charter and international law my name is   Nakib sarwari sarwari originally from Afghanistan  crossed into Canada through roxham Road four   years ago when Afghanistan was one of the seven  Muslim countries whose citizens were banned from   visiting the United States a law also known  as Trump's Muslim ban this is why sawari says   he chose to go to Canada The Unofficial way on a  Christmas evening actually where a lot of people   might have Christmas dinner [Naqib Sarwary, Amnesty International] I was trying to flee into a safe country that I could have just come through the regular Port of Entry I didn't have  to take those like really dark and snowy and icy   roads in the winter when I was coming to Canada  I could have just take the regular day as anybody   else with a passport could come to the border  and cross into Canada I would have been one of   those people but unfortunately I was not because I  knew that I will be sent back to the United States in Quebec which borders four U.S states  including New York and Maine the fight   to reopen the Border continues they are  demanding that Canada sets an example and   goes back to a more Humane immigration  policy In a sense one we're doing in a tiny tiny tiny way what Refugee claimants are  doing and they cover thousands of kilometers   we'll do 70 kilometers it's just a tiny  approximation but at least to to symbolize   what they have experienced and just to say we're  together and and we're moving ahead together they are starting a 73 kilometers March from  Montreal to the crossing point of roxham road   where they want to make their voices heard  give us something while in Canada some are   fighting to reopen the border for refugees in  the U.S it's creating a bottleneck situation   that is getting worse day by day in Portland  the largest city in Maine many immigrants are   stranded for most of them the final goal  was Canada but now the border is closed foreign [Music] it's also a huge challenge for the  helpers like Mike Guthrie who manages   several shelters in the city [Mike Guthrie, Director of the City of Portland Family Shelter] Well it's very difficult and it's it's never great to look a family in the face and say I don't know where you're sleeping tonight   especially when they've come to you for help most  of the immigrants here are from Angola Congo and   from Southern States like Texas Arizona  and California many were transported North   on buses that is conservative Governors  offered for free in order to make a point   they argue it's to show Northern Democratic states  how it feels to receive so many immigrants at once   however many decry it as cruel political weapon  often the immigrants arrive not knowing where to   go and end up on the streets this has happened  in New York in Washington DC and now also in   Maine if you look at the detention paperwork  we have people coming from Texas Arizona   Southern California if they're sending us  a thousand but you know they just had 20   000 across the border it's they're  trying to relieve the pressure on   themselves the system we have is isn't  working if this is the result end result helps them to start the Asylum procedure once a  refugee he is now one of the representatives of   the Congolese community in Portland [Mardochee Mbongi, Lawyer] Before if you  have 100 Asylum Seekers arriving here probably 30 of them or 40 will be crossing the borders towards Canada nowadays they can't cross the   border because it's closed now they are forced  to start their process here as they have to stay   in Portland City Hall it's it's also addressing  the crisis [Kate Snyder, Mayor of Portland] We've been trying to problem solve the issue of emergency shelter for quite some time um  and it will not stop tonight we need housing for   families we need housing for individuals we need  emergency shelter for both of those populations so   um the fact that we have an agreement before  us tonight is the culmination of a lot of   consistent work and ongoing work for us voting  on a new emergency shelter for 180 immigrants The   Proposal passes eight to one a single conservative  member of the council votes against it and he is   not alone this is the building that will become  the new shelter for migrants only 180 beds will   be installed in there a quick solution for the  current problem in Portland however this is also   Awakening critics in this area what is it that  really bothers me is my lack of privacy I live   on a dead end Street I have the woods behind me I  have a large backyard for my family and my animals   and I feel as though 180 people over there will  disrupt and I will lose my privacy off my deck   because it's sort of like that's what I see if  the government say they don't have a space for   them why they allow them to come to this country  to just put in this estate there's so many states   they can live on Texas is a big place Arizona is  Big California is a big man is a very small place   we don't need so so many people here I think we're  facing a moment where Asylum systems really are   under siege around the world and I think there's  a real risk that we could actually lose the right   to Asylum if they become too overburdened and  too broad what you're seeing is an attempt by   countries that believe in protection like  the Canadian government and I think this   Administration in the US as well you know trying  to make them a little more rigorous is one way   of ensuring credibility and ensuring political  support down the road a crisis that can only be   fixed by changing the broken immigration system in  the meantime it will be the same old sound [Music]

Channel: DW News

Views: 1,121,221

Keywords: DW News, USA, migration, roxham road, canada, illegal, safe third countries, Biden, Trudeau

Id: MHOQxiZ9Eoo

Length: 13min 41sec (821 seconds)

Published: Fri Aug 18 2023