Hundreds of people have entered Canada illegally near the Emerson border in Manitoba in search of refuge over the last three years, CBC News has learned.
The revelation comes following news that two refugees from Ghana were hospitalized in Winnipeg after getting frostbite while they were lost on Christmas Eve morning on Highway 75 near the Emerson border.
The Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) has confirmed at least 398 refugee claimants have tried to get over the Emerson border illegally between April 2013 and November 2016.
Individuals attempting an illegal border crossing are intercepted by the RCMP and brought to the Emerson border crossing, where they're allowed to make a refugee claim, said Jacquie Callin, a CBSA spokeswoman.
Callin added that the majority of claimants entering near Emerson are from Somalia.
The agency said it is only responsible for designated border crossings and not the areas that surround them.
Ongoing issue for years
The agency declined to comment when asked by CBC how hundreds of illegal claimants could be making their way into Canada. The agency referred the request to the RCMP, saying they're responsible for patrolling the area.
It's not clear how many of those individuals were able to stay in Canada — after paperwork is filled out, claimants have their photos taken, are released and are given hearing dates at the Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada.
The hearings are private and not open to the public.
Derek Sabourin, reeve for the Regional Municipality of Montcalm, which covers the area just north of the Emerson border, said residents have been reporting undocumented people coming across their land for years.
Sabourin said there are no fences near the Emerson border.
'Like their northern star'
Instead, there are ditches that people can walk across.
"It's a safety issue and people don't like people walking through their properties at night," he added. "But nothing bad has happened."
'They just ... walk towards the red lights and eventually they'll be in Canada.'- Derek Sabourin
Sabourin said local Mounties told him in July 2016 that 41 undocumented people were taken into custody during a six-week period alone.
"They just walk on through or get picked up and brought to the border service," he said.
He said it's his understanding that most of the people are coming from Minneapolis and originally from Somalia.
"The windmills have red lights on top in the southern part of our municipality, so you know if they're walking to the red lights, I guess you could say that's like their northern star.
"They just, you know, walk towards the red lights and eventually they'll be in Canada."
Winnipeg immigration lawyer Bashir Khan said he was surprised to hear about the two men who entered Canada on Christmas Eve.
He said he has never seen people walk through fields near the border in the dead of the winter to seek refuge. He also said people fleeing their countries will go at great lengths to find safety.
"The actions of these people is understandable."
http://www.cbc.ca/beta/news/canada/manitoba/refugees-emerson-border-manitoba-1.3923747
The revelation comes following news that two refugees from Ghana were hospitalized in Winnipeg after getting frostbite while they were lost on Christmas Eve morning on Highway 75 near the Emerson border.
The Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) has confirmed at least 398 refugee claimants have tried to get over the Emerson border illegally between April 2013 and November 2016.
Individuals attempting an illegal border crossing are intercepted by the RCMP and brought to the Emerson border crossing, where they're allowed to make a refugee claim, said Jacquie Callin, a CBSA spokeswoman.
Callin added that the majority of claimants entering near Emerson are from Somalia.
The agency said it is only responsible for designated border crossings and not the areas that surround them.
Ongoing issue for years
The agency declined to comment when asked by CBC how hundreds of illegal claimants could be making their way into Canada. The agency referred the request to the RCMP, saying they're responsible for patrolling the area.
It's not clear how many of those individuals were able to stay in Canada — after paperwork is filled out, claimants have their photos taken, are released and are given hearing dates at the Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada.
The hearings are private and not open to the public.
Derek Sabourin, reeve for the Regional Municipality of Montcalm, which covers the area just north of the Emerson border, said residents have been reporting undocumented people coming across their land for years.
Sabourin said there are no fences near the Emerson border.
'Like their northern star'
Instead, there are ditches that people can walk across.
"It's a safety issue and people don't like people walking through their properties at night," he added. "But nothing bad has happened."
'They just ... walk towards the red lights and eventually they'll be in Canada.'- Derek Sabourin
Sabourin said local Mounties told him in July 2016 that 41 undocumented people were taken into custody during a six-week period alone.
"They just walk on through or get picked up and brought to the border service," he said.
He said it's his understanding that most of the people are coming from Minneapolis and originally from Somalia.
"The windmills have red lights on top in the southern part of our municipality, so you know if they're walking to the red lights, I guess you could say that's like their northern star.
"They just, you know, walk towards the red lights and eventually they'll be in Canada."
Winnipeg immigration lawyer Bashir Khan said he was surprised to hear about the two men who entered Canada on Christmas Eve.
He said he has never seen people walk through fields near the border in the dead of the winter to seek refuge. He also said people fleeing their countries will go at great lengths to find safety.
"The actions of these people is understandable."
http://www.cbc.ca/beta/news/canada/manitoba/refugees-emerson-border-manitoba-1.3923747
