Pallister, congressman issue joint release on border jumpers

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This article was published 19/07/2017 (2466 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Premier Brian Pallister and a Minnesota congressman say they want to raise awareness about the risks faced by asylum seekers crossing into Canada on foot.

A news release issued by the province and Minnesota said both places have a proud history of welcoming refugees fleeing dire circumstances, but warned purposely avoiding physical ports of entry and attempting to cross open countryside to reach Canada from the United States is extremely dangerous.

“Individuals and groups who attempt this crossing risk serious injury or even death from a wide range of natural hazards including floods, open water, freezing overnight temperatures and the risk of exposure,” the release said.

Issued Wednesday by the province and Minnesota Congressman Collin Peterson, the release references the Safe Third Country Agreement that prevents people in both countries from making their refugee claim at ports of entry and warned those who make it to Canada by avoiding the ports won’t necessarily be allowed to stay.

“It is important for potential asylum seekers to know that they will not automatically gain asylum upon entering Canada, and that their odds of approval are not increased by entering Canada illegally from the United States,” it said.

“Those seeking asylum in Canada must still go through an immigration and refugee process similar to the process that would apply in the United States. Further, asylum decisions are made on a case-by-case basis, and the granting of refugee status is not guaranteed.”

It said the weather may be warmer, but dangers persist for migrants on foot.

“The life-threatening hazards facing potential asylum seekers continue past the end of winter as temperatures and wet conditions still pose significant dangers,” it said, pointing to the death of Ghanaian Mavis Otuteye, whose body was found in northern Kittson County on May 26, as an example of “the considerable risks being taken to avoid detection when there are safer options in place.”

Otuteye, who wanted to avoid detection because her U.S. visa expired long ago, was trying to get into Canada to visit her daughter in Toronto when she died from hypothermia.

The release comes more than a month after Pallister participated in a joint mission to Washington, D.C. with fellow premiers, where they met with U.S. counterparts on topics of shared importance, a spokesman for the premier said on Thursday.

Manitoba’s premier met specifically with Peterson on June 7, discussing a wide range of Canada-US and Manitoba-Minnesota matters, including the significant commercial connections between Manitoba and Minnesota, the important role of the North American Free Trade Agreement in supporting the economy on both sides of the border and concerns related to asylum seekers crossing into Manitoba.

“The joint statement reflects the shared concerns of Congressman Peterson and Premier Pallister in regard to asylum seekers crossing the border,” the spokesman for the premier said.

“Both the premier and the congressman recognize the need to better inform those considering entering Canada this way of the serious risks posed by attempting to cross the border irregularly, and the potential for asylum seekers to be exploited. The statement is intended to raise awareness in Minnesota and Manitoba of these risks, both among potential asylum seekers and in communities that asylum seekers may transit.”

carol.sanders@freepress.mb.ca