Leaders of the Somali community in Minneapolis are warning their fellow countrymen not to risk their lives by trekking across the U.S.-Canada border in freezing nighttime temperatures.
More than 400 people have illegally crossed the border near Emerson, Man., between April, 2016 and the end of January, according to the Canadian Border Services Agency. More than half are Somali.
Minneapolis community activist Omar Jamal told CTV Winnipeg that he has counselled as many as 30 families -- mostly from Minnesota but also from Ohio -- against crossing the border. About half have gone anyway, he said.
Jamal said the families are paying $600 to $1,000 a person for rides to the border, often with small children. 鈥淲hen the sun goes down at night,鈥� he said, 鈥渢hey will start walking.鈥�
Jamal said their immigration statuses vary. 鈥淪ome of them just came out of jail 鈥� they were in immigration detention and awaiting their process, some have been convicted on some level of a crime, some of them may even have a green card,鈥� he said.
One thing he said they have in common is fear of U.S. President Donald Trump鈥檚 90-day travel ban on people from seven countries, including Somalia. The Jan. 27 executive order was suspended by a federal appeals court on Feb 9.
Jamal said there is a lot of 鈥渇earmongering鈥� in the community and that people should keep in mind that the travel ban was only meant to be temporary. 鈥淚f you don鈥檛 have any conviction,鈥� he said, 鈥淚 think you have a (better) chance of getting your documents here.鈥�
Jibril Afyareh, an advocate with the Somali Citizens League, agreed that many of those heading north are people who have already been rejected by the U.S., and are now worried about deportation by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).
鈥淚t seems those rejection documents are a valid reason to go to Canada as asylum seekers or immigrants,鈥� he said. 鈥淎nd, as the Canadian prime minister has put it, he鈥檚 welcoming them,鈥� Afyareh added.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau famously tweeted on the weekend Trump鈥檚 travel ban took effect: 鈥渢o those fleeing persecution, terror & war, Canadians will welcome you, regardless of your faith. Diversity is our strength #WelcomeToCanada.鈥�
However, a Canada-U.S. treaty known as the Safe Third Country Agreement requiring refugee claimants to make their claims in the first country they arrive in remains in place, so asylum seekers can expect to be turned back if they show up at a regulated crossing.
Afyareh said he urges people to 鈥渟tay calm鈥� and avoid the risk of crossing into Canada.
He also said the ban has had a devastating effect on those who saw the U.S. as a beacon of freedom but are now being told 鈥測ou don鈥檛 belong here.鈥�
鈥淥bviously we need to secure and work on the safety of this country,鈥� Afyareh said. 鈥淚 do this every day, working with the youth attorney trying to stop radicalization.鈥�
鈥淏ut this (travel ban) defeats the purpose,鈥� he added. 鈥淭his sends the message that you鈥檙e not wanted by this country which is not the case.鈥�
Bashir Khan, a Winnipeg immigration lawyer, told CTV News Channel earlier this month that the asylum seekers have a high likelihood of success -- even if the U.S rejected them.
鈥淚n my experience,鈥� Khan said, 鈥�80 to 90 per cent of the people who are denied asylum in the United States do end up winning their refugee claim before the Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada.鈥�
Manitoba isn鈥檛 the only province seeing a spike in asylum seekers illegally crossing the border. In fact, Quebec has seen the biggest increase.
With a report from CTV Winnipeg鈥檚 Beth MacDonell
