The United States has always been a favored destination for people across the world but, all of a sudden, there is a fear complex in the air which is forcing immigrants to escape to Canada and begin life afresh. They feel America has lost its charm and this is proved by the number of them who arrive at the Canada border. In the first two months of 2017 this figure was more than 2500.
Why they want to leave?
Sky News reports that these escapees are aware of the dangers that lie ahead. Royal Canadian Mounted Police guard the borders and caution them that they will be arrested once they cross over from unofficial border points.
However, there is a consolation – if, after verification, it is seen that the individual’s record is above board, he will be released to the immigration authorities and can hope to enter Canada.
The men, women, and children who gather at the borders are immigrants hailing from countries like Yemen, Eritrea, and Turkey etcetera. Some of them have with them life expired visas but they do not want to return to their war-ravaged country. Many of them speak very little English.
The enormity of the problem is evident from what the Canadian Border Services Agency has revealed. As per their records, at the Quebec border, there was a six-fold increase in refugee claims in the month of February, compared to the same month in the previous year.
In the two months of January and February 2017, there were more than 2500 persons who crossed over from the United States seeking asylum. Most of them are families with parents and kids.
Reasons for selecting Canada
Those who come to the borders actually want to be detained by the Canadian police. That way they have a chance to cross because, as per an agreement between the United States and Canada, people from either of the countries cannot seek refugee status in the other.
However, if they are arrested while they cross over illegally, they can claim refugee status if their past history is unblemished. Once they are released from custody, they gain access to facilities like housing, schools, emergency healthcare and work permits as they wait for completion of immigration hearings.
It is all about survival and, when an immigrant in America discovers that the present administration views him with suspicion, he will look for an escape route and, right now, Canada appears to be a safe bet.
