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A6   WORLD NEWS
                 Monday 28 noveMber 2022
            Mexican asylum seekers set their sights north — on Canada




                                                                                                                                it’s safer.
                                                                                                                                “In the U.S., they are put in
                                                                                                                                cages,  the  conditions  are
                                                                                                                                not  as  good,”  Leiva  said.
                                                                                                                                “People do not feel safe or
                                                                                                                                protected.”
                                                                                                                                “My  wife  investigated  the
                                                                                                                                existence  of  international
                                                                                                                                treaties  to  protect  people
                                                                                                                                who are at risk,” he said.
                                                                                                                                He  referenced  Canadian
                                                                                                                                policies  and  regulations
                                                                                                                                protecting  women  and
                                                                                                                                children  in  addition  to  the
                                                                                                                                country’s   comparatively
                                                                                                                                low crime rate.
                                                                                                                                “The  U.S.  was  never  in  our
                                                                                                                                minds, since there is a lot of
                                                                                                                                violence  ...  attacks  where
                                                                                                                                many    innocent   people
                                                                                                                                die,”  said  Meraz.  “Cana-
                                                                                                                                da,  statistically,  has  a  very
                                                                                                                                low rate of violence and its
            In this Aug. 7, 2017 file photo, a Royal Canadian Mounted Police officer informs a migrant couple of the location of a legal border   quality of life is much better
            station, shortly before they illegally crossed from Champlain, N.Y., to Saint-Bernard-de-Lacolle, Quebec, using Roxham Road.   than the USA.”
                                                                                                   (AP Photo/Charles Krupa, File)  He  said  his  family  chose
            By Zachary Kamel             many  as  in  2019,  the  last  by  Mexican  asylum  seek-  the  group’s  volunteer  and  Montreal  instead  of  some
            Associated Press             year  before  the  COVID-19  ers.  Of  those,  1,032  were  social  outreach  coordina-  other  Canadian  city  be-
            MONTREAL  (AP)  —  Pedro  pandemic  and  the  travel  accepted,  1,256  were  re-      tor.                         cause  of  logistics,  though
            Meraz says living in Colima,  restrictions  that  accompa-  jected;  and  the  remaining  As  for  what  is  causing  the  he’s   having   second
            Mexico, was like living in a  nied it.                    400-plus were either aban-   increase in applicants, Lei-  thoughts.
            war  zone,  with  shootings,  The  vast  majority  of  them  doned,  withdrawn,  or  had  va  suggested  that  social  “If you were to ask me right
            burning  cars  and  dismem-  are  flying  in  to  Montreal,  other outcomes, said Chris-  media is playing a role.  now  if  I  would  choose  an-
            bered  bodies  being  left  which  has  many  direct  tian  Tessier,  an  IRB  spokes-  “There  have  been  YouTu-  other place, then maybe,”
            outside of schools.          flights to and from Mexico.  person.                      bers  and  some  videos  on  said Meraz, noting that he
            When  his  wife  Rocio  Gon-  Among  them  is  Viviana  In Canada, claimants must  TikTok  talking  about  how  and  his  family  must  now
            zalez, a 28-year-old lawyer  Tapia  Gonzalez,  a  human  meet  the  United  Nations’  easy it is to come to Cana-   learn French.
            who  worked  with  abused  rights  activist  and  mother  definition  of  a  “conven-  da,” she said.               Hayet  Mohammed,  who
            women,  began  receiving  of  four  from  Aguascalien-    tion  refugee,”  meaning  At  least  one  YouTube  vid-   manages  the  French  lan-
            death  threats  from  a  car-  tes,  about  265  miles  (425  they  are  outside  of  their  eo  that  was  published  10  guage  program  at  Carre-
            tel and the local authorities  kilometers)  northwest  of  home  countries  and  have  months ago and made for  four Solidarité Anjou, a non-
            ignored her pleas for assis-  Mexico  City,  who  said  she  a  well-founded  fear  that  a  Mexican  audience  ex-  profit  that  helps  newcom-
            tance, they knew they had  left Mexico in January after  they would be persecuted  plains the Canadian immi-        ers  settle  in  Quebec,  said
            to leave.                    being attacked by the mili-  if  they  returned  based  on  gration  process  in  Spanish  not  only  is  obtaining  refu-
            “They knew where we lived  tary. She said her work with  their race, religion, political  and has more than 4 million  gee status easier in Cana-
            and  what  car  we  drove,”  the families of missing and  opinions,  nationality  or  af-  views.                   da, but there are plenty of
            said Meraz, 41, who taught  murdered women and girls  filiation with a social group.  It has been harder for Mexi-  resources  for  asylum  seek-
            at The University of Colima,  made her a target.          Otherwise, they must prove  cans to seek asylum in the  ers once they arrive.
            near the Pacific Coast and  “Death  threats  were  con-   that  they  need  protection  U.S.  since  the  start  of  the  “They  can  work  as  soon
            about  300  miles  (485  kilo-  stant,” she said. “I thought  and  can’t  safely  return  to  pandemic.  A  U.S.  public  as they have their refugee
            meters)  west  of  Mexico  it was the last option I had  their  home  countries  with-  health  rule  that  suspends  status  and  are  entitled  to
            City. “Feeling that you are  to be safe. I work for many  out  risking  torture,  cruel  the right to seek asylum on  (French)  courses  given  by
            going  to  lose  your  life,  or  causes  and  help  many  or  unusual  punishment,  or  the  grounds  of  preventing  the  (Ministry  of  Immigra-
            one  of  your  daughters,  I  people.  I  did  not  want  to  death.                   the  spread  of  COVID-19  tion  in  Quebec)  which
            don’t  mind  starting  from  stop helping, but I must also  Despite the risk of rejection,  has fallen disproportionate-  gives  them  financial  assis-
            scratch.”                    protect (and) take care of  though,  the  surge  in  Mexi-  ly hard on Mexicans. Title 42  tance and finally, there are
            The family is part of a surge  myself.”                   cans  seeking  refugee  sta-  authority has been used to  many  work  opportunities,
            in the number of Mexicans  Tapia  Gonzalez  has  been  tus in Canada persists.         expel  migrants  more  than  and they are not at risk of
            who  have  requested  asy-   living  in  a  Montreal  wom-  The Welcome Collective, a  2.4 million times since it was  finding  themselves  unem-
            lum  in  Canada  this  year.  en’s  shelter  while  await-  Montreal-based  charitable  introduced in March 2020.   ployed,” said Mohammed.
            Due to the relative ease of  ing  a  decision  on  her  asy-  organization  that  provides  Further  adding  to  Cana-  “Being a newcomer myself
            obtaining asylum in Cana-    lum claim, which she fears  essential  goods  to  new  da’s allure is that Mexicans  with my little family, there is
            da  compared  to  the  U.S.,  might get rejected.         asylum seekers, said half of  haven’t  needed  a  visa  to  no other country that gives
            visa-free  travel  between  If her claim is turned down,  the  group’s  current  clients  travel to the country since  immigrants  so  many  facili-
            Mexico and Canada, and  she wouldn’t be alone.            came  from  Mexico  —  a  the Canadian government  ties in terms of training, work
            the threat of violence back  In  the  first  nine  months  of  300%  increase  compared  lifted  the  requirement  in  and child benefits. All these
            home,  more  than  8,000  2022,  the  Immigration  and  with earlier this year.        late 2016.                   things  make  people  leave
            Mexican  nationals  have  Refugee Board of Canada,  “They had to run away be-          Leiva  also  suggested  that  their countries of origin and
            sought  refugee  status  in  an  independent  tribunal  cause of violence and oth-     more  Mexicans  might  be  come  to  make  their  lives
            2022.  That’s  almost  five  that  investigates  and  de-  er humanitarian reasons. To  choosing to come to Can-    here,  thousands  of  miles
            times as many as last year  cides  asylum  cases,  final-  find a better place for their  ada  instead  of  the  United  away  from  their  families,”
            and  more  than  twice  as  ized more than 2,700 claims  children,” said Flavia Leiva,  States  because  they  think  she said.q
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