“A definitive closure will be a major driver for smuggling,” said Ayotte.Īsylum seekers cross into Canada from the US border near a checkpoint on Roxham Road near Hemmingford, Quebec, last month. “The refugee organizations in Montreal have said very clearly that they do have capacity,” said Wendy Ayotte, founder of the Quebec-based group Bridges Not Borders, who argued that without the reliable route of Roxham Road, asylum seekers would resort to more dangerous options. Refugee advocates disagree with those claims. This influx is causing growing friction between provincial and federal authorities, prompting Quebec’s premier, François Legault, this month to ask Canada’s government to shut down Roxham Road, arguing that the province doesn’t have the funds or housing to handle the number of asylum seekers seen in recent months. In the first three months of 2022, Royal Canadian Mounted Police intercepted more than 7,000 asylum seekers crossing into Quebec, primarily at Roxham Road. ![]() And along the 5,525-mile border, Roxham Road is by far the most popular irregular crossing point. The Safe Third Country Agreement, which has been in effect since 2004, stipulates that asylum seekers in either country must seek refugee protection in whichever country they first arrive and will be turned away from ports of entry to the other nation.īut this agreement doesn’t apply to irregular crossings. Since 2017, more than 60,000 asylum seekers have entered Canada through such irregular routes from the US, due to what some have called a “loophole” in a treaty between the two countries. ![]() After walking across the border, Al-Hashemi made his way to Montreal, where he stayed at a refugee shelter until his asylum claim was accepted. He was driven the next day to Roxham Road, which runs between Quebec and Plattsburgh, New York.
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