Roxham Road has closed
The swift change of policy between Canada and the U.S. and the immediate closure of Roxham Road has come as a shock to those trying to get across. The closure is felt to risk humanitarian catastrophes by some immigration experts.
François Legault says it’s a beautiful victory for Quebec.
La Presse’s Laura-Julie Perreault says it’s wilful blindness on both sides of the border. Godin’s editorial cartoon.
JaneyB 11:40 on 2023-03-25 Permalink
So the migrants will have to apply for asylum in the US instead of Canada…that does not seem catastrophic to me. Also, Canada does have a refugee stream – a whole system designed to accommodate people fleeing for their lives and/or freedom. I think it’s fine that asylum-seekers are required to use the system designed for them and plenty of them do. It’s true borders feel harsh sometimes but they protect a culture, an economy, a tax and service system etc. We want a well-managed system so it requires a kind of container and rules. As numbers of migrants increase with climate crisis instability and disasters, limiting access to our county will certainly feel increasingly awful though. No doubt about that.
Kate 12:29 on 2023-03-25 Permalink
One of the points being made is that although the Canada-U.S. border is long, there are surprisingly few points where a person can get across without physical risk. We’ve got oceans, mountains, desolate prairies, thick forests, huge lakes – and then we have Roxham Road, where you’ve been able to cross after a taxi ride from Plattsburgh.
shawn 12:54 on 2023-03-25 Permalink
My feeling is that when another route opens up, it’s a good chance it’ll lead to Quebec, perhaps from Vermont or Maine. I’m curious about the Akwesasne region, which of course borders Ontario and Quebec. I expect we’ll see soon enough.
Kate 16:12 on 2023-03-25 Permalink
Ontario, Quebec and New York State. There are occasional hints that this is where many illegal guns come across the border, but not much about how this trade is policed outside the reserve.
DeWolf 16:58 on 2023-03-25 Permalink
@JaneyB, many migrant advocates argue that the US has an overly restrictive asylum policy, and it’s only getting worse with the Biden administration pushing for even fewer claims to be approved. The US accepts only about 47 percent of claims whereas Canada accepts 60-70 percent.