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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war zone, with shootings, The vast majority of them doned, withdrawn, or had va suggested that social “If you were to ask me right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