Bridges not Borders (October 2021)

As more people have been allowed to enter Canada via the land border, refugees who are desperate to find safety in Canada are still being turned away. Since March 21st 2020 to end of July 2021, 500 people have been sent back to the USA. Many end up in immigration detention and in the worst case some have been returned to their home countries where their lives are at risk. One such was Kevin, a Cameroonian man who was immediately imprisoned in horrendous conditions after his forced return. For us in Bridges Not Borders, this is a troubling reflection about how the pandemic has narrowed the scope of whose lives the Canadian government cares about. The Canadian Association of Refugee Lawyers has launched a legal challenge to this ‘direct back’ policy, asserting that it is illegal under Canadian law.

Clinton County Jail in New York State. This is where asylum seekers are held when and if they are detained after being sent back to the United States by CBSA.

There was also much confusion about the border opening on September 7th. Many refugees who had been waiting in the US went to the Canadian border only to be turned back. They are often stranded with no resources if they are not detained. Our partners in Plattsburgh Cares have been helping them get to shelters or friends, often far away. This has been very costly, as there are still no trains or buses operating out of Plattsburgh. Over the last two weeks, they have taken care of 25 families.

Due to the border opening, the emails we receive and the traffic on our website have risen dramatically (nearly 5000 website visits from Aug 22 to Sept 20). Often the only help we can give is providing updated info about the border situation, but sometimes we can make a real difference. People who write to us are in all kinds of situations. Here are three recent examples (names and countries are changed to protect their identity):

  • Zara from India is an 18-year-old girl whose mother was badly burnt in a gender-based attack and went into hiding because police would not protect her. She sent her daughter to the US to protect her from the same assailants, with the intention of crossing into Canada. The “smuggler” who was to bring her to Roxham Road disappeared with the mother’s savings, leaving the girl alone and in distress in New York City.
  • Jorge from Columbia is a young man who has been threatened with death by a paramilitary group for the last 9 months and has gone into hiding. Although he moved to three different cities, the paramilitaries managed to locate him through their extensive networks and threatened him. Jorge is very afraid and anxious to seek asylum in Canada.
  • Ali from Jammu Kashmir is a human rights defender who was resisting the Pakistani occupation. As a result, his life was threatened and he went into hiding for several months in 2020 after the start of Covid. Eventually, with the help of friends, he was able to travel to the US with the hope of coming to Canada where members of his community live who are willing to take him in.

We are also concerned that some people are being sent back to the US who could actually enter. We were contacted by Emmanuel, who fled an African country rife with armed conflict and human rights abuses. He crossed at an irregular point and, after arrest, CBSA (the Canadian Border Services Agency) directed him back to the US. However, because his wife already lives in Canada and he has the documents to prove his marriage, according to the rules of the Safe Third Country Agreement (STCA), he was qualified to enter Canada to make a refugee claim. His return to the American authorities added more anguish to the effects of the long standing persecution and threats the couple had suffered in their home country. Fortunately we were able to get legal help for him to negotiate for a return to Canada under STCA rules. Others might not be so fortunate or know how to find help.

To end on a more positive note, we organized a picnic in September where refugee families from the island of Montreal and the South Shore could enjoy the abundance of nature and food in our beautiful countryside. www.bridgesnotborders.ca