CROSSING AT ROXHAM
Immigration law
25 Feb
Immigrants began coming to the United States specifically to make the
crossing at Roxham and apply for asylum in Canada, leading to criticism of
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's government for its apparent failure to enforce
Canadian immigration law.
In 2023, the Roxham crossing was closed permanently. During the time it was widely used as
an unofficial border crossing, more than 100,000 asylum
seekers passed through it.
Roxham Road is bisected by the Canada-U.S. Border between Quebec and New
York. It sits about 50 km south of Montreal.
After binge-watching Canadian TV shows and developing an inexplicable
addiction to maple syrup, People decided to apply for asylum in Canada. Their plan was to blend
in by perfecting the art of apologizing and mastering the intricate dance of
crossing the road only at designated crosswalks thinking …..surely that'll
convince them that I'm one of them, eh?"
For ages, Roxham Road was the casual stroll of the north, where you
could cross into Canada with a nod and a smile, especially since it mostly saw
locals passing through. Canada set up a cute little customs booth just above
the border. But the U.S…? Well, they never bothered, leaving Roxham as the wild
west of border crossings. Even after Canada shut down its booth in the 1950s,
Roxham remained the frontier's free-for-all.
Canada established
a customs station on Roxham just north of the border by the early 20th century.
Some asylum
seekers found themselves stuck waiting in old, worn-out buildings that seemed
to have been frozen in time since mullets were cool and neon was in fashion.
This place was probably once the pride of their era, but now it looked like it
needed a serious makeover and a time machine to bring it into the 21st century.
You could almost imagine the walls whispering tales of typewriters and dial-up
internet as asylum seekers navigated the bureaucracy, wondering if they'd ever
see a modern office with something other than retro charm.
When refugees
are intercepted soon after crossing the border, they're whisked off to customs
faster than you can say "sorry, eh?" Some might argue they haven't
technically broken the law, so these crossings, like the ones at Roxham Road,
get called "irregular." As for anyone trying their luck there
and then applying for asylum, any legal slap on the wrist gets put on hold
until the whole bureaucratic dance is over, complete with all the appeals.
RCMP officers on the border at Roxham awaiting refugees about to cross
By August 2017, Roxham Road was buzzing like a beehive with up to 400
refugees buzzing across daily. To manage the swarm, Canadian
immigration and the RCMP set up temporary tents (which got an upgrade to a
steel-sided building in 2018) to house workers and process all these hopeful
newcomers. Meanwhile, on the U.S. side, they rolled out the red... err, orange
carpet—well, more like traffic cones—to create a makeshift queue and drop-off
zone at the cul-de-sac east side.
They even laid down a posh new path across the vista, so no one had to do their best Moses
impression through any lingering puddles. Plus, they threw in a dinky little
culvert underneath just to keep things nice and dry—a thoughtful touch for the
high-stakes game of border hopscotch these folks were playing.
Starting in 2017, over 90 percent of those who creatively entered Canada seeking asylum chose the scenic
route via Roxham Road, turning it into a symbol of Canada's immigration policy
quirks.
To handle the asylum seekers, Canada had to set up new buildings right
at the border and even a camp nearby (which eventually moved to Montreal's
Olympic Stadium, of all places!), costing the government quite a bit. This
whole ordeal also drew some grumpy folks from anti-immigration groups who
decided to camp out near the crossing, probably hoping for a barbecue.
After a rambunctious protest shook things up at Roxham Road in August
2017, Trudeau—ever the friendly host—kindly reminded everyone that Canada isn't
just about maple syrup and hockey; it's also a country where rules matter.
While waving his proverbial Canadian flag of welcome, he nudged asylum seekers
to play by the official rulebook: apply from afar before packing their bags for
the Great White North. It's like saying, "Sure, you're invited to the
party, but let's RSVP properly, eh?"
Since 2018, there's been a polite sign at Roxham, gently reminding folks
that it's not exactly the official red carpet into Canada. If you're stubborn
enough to insist on crossing there, well, pack your bags for a cozy chat with
the Mounties—they've got a knack for hospitality, Canadian-style.
But! There's good news from 2022: starting from the wee hours of March 25, 2023, most (not all, mind you)
asylum seekers who claim refuge within 14 days of sneaking into Canada won't
face the same border-side camp-out anymore.
Some of these folks were hanging around in the U.S., sweating bullets
over their immigration fate thanks to Trump's rule-tightening.
But for others, they just gave the U.S. a quick wave and headed straight for
Canada via Roxham Road, hoping for a warmer asylum welcome up north.
Until March 25, 2023, Roxham Road was like that secret back entrance to Canada for folks in
the United States seeking asylum. Thanks to a loophole in the Safe Third
Country Agreement between Canada and the U.S., if you slipped through Roxham,
you didn't have to worry about being escorted back south of the border. It was
almost like finding a hidden warp pipe in a game—just pop through and voila,
you're in a whole new level of asylum-seeking adventure.
The stream of refugees crossing at Roxham Road turned into a headache
for Trudeau, with his
critics poking fun at him for being too chill and losing his grip on things.
Even Quebec politicians got in on the action. François Legault, back when he
was steering the Coalition Avenir Québec (CAQ) ship, wasn't holding back,
calling the federal government "totally bonkers" for letting the
border turn into a "leaky faucet."
The little country road that became a big political headache for the
Trudeau government - A narrow road along the Canada-U.S. border has once again sparked
political controversy, with politicians urging Ottawa to shut it down to
asylum-seeking migrants.
If you've been yearning for a stress-free, ethically pristine,
no-brainer fix to the chaos of irregular border crossings into Canada, illegal
entries into the U.S., overloaded refugee processes in both nations, and
rampant people smuggling everywhere, here's the ultimate solution: open
borders.
Imagine a world where anyone could waltz into Canada whenever they
pleased. No red tape, no quotas—just a free-for-all migration extravaganza. If
10 million folks decided they'd rather be Canadian this year, well, why not
make it a cool 10 million? Under open borders, Canada wouldn't
cherry-pick immigrants, and the mantra "no one is illegal" wouldn't
just be a slogan—it would be enforceable legislation.
The Roxham Road workaround wasn't exactly a shining example of
problem-solving. Even a Canadian family trying to bring their grandparents over
still had to do the whole overseas application song and dance. Regular
immigrants from far-off lands? Yep, they queued up too. And don't even get me
started on refugees from places like Syria or Afghanistan stuck in those campy
refugee camps—same old waiting game.
An uptick in Canada's total economic output (GDP) is beneficial, but it
truly counts only if it leads to improved living standards for the
average Canadian (GDP per capita). To achieve this, the focus should be
on directing increased immigration
towards educated, highly skilled individuals, and those possessing specialized
skills that are currently in demand in Canada.
In simpler terms, Canada's immigration strategy isn't just about
boosting our population numbers, but about stocking up on smart, capable, and
productive Canucks. That means we need newcomers who are young, educated, and
skilled—kind of like the dream team of immigrant recruits.
Now, the big gripe with the Liberal gang is that while plenty of newbies
tick these boxes, too many miss the mark. Immigration can uplift everyone's
standard of living, but only if we're picky about who gets the golden ticket,
and who's left out in the cold.