Twenty-two refugees were caught illegally crossing the border into Canadian province, Manitoba, over the weekend. The Canada Border Services Agency reported that the people group is one among the many streams of people who have recently fled for Canada, following President Trump's travel ban.
Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has previously defended the importance of welcoming refugees, without explicitly referring to Trump's executive order. He mentioned that those fleeing war, terror and persecution were welcome in Canada.
Many of the refugees opened up about concerns over their lives and safety following Trump's executive order that banned refugees and travelers from seven predominantly Muslim-populated countries from entering the US. Although Trump's executive order has been rejected by a U.S. federal appeals court, refugees continue to risk their lives to get to Canada, crossing through snow and dangerous freezing conditions, CNN reported.
According to the Government of Canada's official website, the Safe Third Country Agreement between Canada and the U.S. requires people to apply for refugee protection in the first safe country they arrive in, which considers the United States to be a safe country. However, immigrant advocates in Canada want this law abolished as they believe the U.S. is no longer a safe country.
They told CBC that under the agreement, people who seek refugee status in Canada from the U.S. will be rejected at the official border crossings. The aftermath of this has ended up in people setting out treacherous and dangerous journeys to sneak into the country.
Meanwhile, the 22 people who attempted to cross this weekend are being processed in accordance with Canadian law, according to the Canada Border Services Agency. While border jumpers are no longer new to the government, the recent refugees' influx has pitted Canada, especially around the Emerson border crossing, in somewhat of a security crisis.
