'Think of what made those people' cross border, says Winnipegger originally from Chad after 7 arrested

The sounds of adrum and thenational anthem of Chad echoed through the sanctuary at Knox United Church Thursday a tune familiar toRaymond Ngarboui, for whom the north-central African country was once home.

He came to Canada by way of Cameroon at the end of 2005 as part of a federal government-sponsored refugee program,but he's awarenot everyone has that kind of opportunity.

At the end of January, seven men from Chad were allegedly smuggled across the U.S. border and into Manitoba, RCMP said Tuesday. Four other men, also from Chad, crossed into Emerson in December.

"The country has been in civil wars for over 40 years, over four decades," saidNgarboui, now acommunity development co-ordinatorfor theCommunity Education Development Association and a volunteerat Knox United.

"Everybody who had been in power and who has been in power there they were soldiers, generals, colonels, all these people," he said.

"And the populations don't have any rightthere is no rule of law, there is no democracy, there is no freedom of speech, freedom of anything. Nothing."

Chad is one of the largest countries in Africa, but Ngarboui said many people there lackbasics like clean water, education and proper medical care. Anybody who has the opportunity to leave the country will take it, he said.

Ngarboui said some people die during their attempts to reachEurope or North America.

But he said some people feel they're better offleaving even if it means a long and dangerous journey than to stay in Chad and diein front of their families.

"It makes me feel shocked feel very bad, but mostly frustrated," said Ngarboui.

'Not surprised' Chadians coming to Canada: lawyer

Winnipeg-based immigration lawyer Alastair Clarke, who has worked with hundreds of Chadians, says thesituation there is dire.

Since the death of then president Idriss Deby in 2021, there's been political unrest, leading to the government targeting political opponents, student groups and "anyone who is perceived to be against the government," said Clarke.

"I will tell you that from my experience dealing with hundreds of claimants from Chad, that I'm not surprised that these individuals are coming to Canada to find safety."

Canada, with its large francophone community,is appealing for many people leaving Chad, where French is an official language, he said.

Under the Safe Third Country Agreement between Canada and the U.S., asylum seekers must apply for refugee status in the first of the two countries they enter.

However, before March 2023, that only applied to people arriving at official border crossings.

A loophole in the agreementallowed migrants to make asylum claims if they arrivedin Canada from the United States between official ports of entry for example, through "farmers'fields down along the border near Emerson," said Clarke.

Now, that loophole has been closed and theagreement applies to the entire land border.

Clarke said now, if someone crosses irregularly into Canada, is caught within 14 days of entry and doesn't qualify under one of the agreement's exemptions, they'll be turned back over to U.S. authorities.

The Canada Border Services Agency said in an emailed statement that if aperson is found to have an eligible refugee claim, theirfile will be referred to the Immigration and Refugee Boardfor consideration, and the person will be allowedto enter Canada to pursue their claim.

But Clarke said there's"significant misinformation and disinformation out there," meaning some people still think they can make arefugee claim based on the oldSafe Third Country rules.

"Sometimes in those situations, they try to make their claim in Canada, but they're not eligible," said Clarke.

"Then they're turned over to the American authorities, they're sent back to the United States, and those cases are extremely heartbreaking."

According toRCMP data,there were 77 asylum claims and interceptions in 2023 up from72 in 2022 and 19 in 2021.

In the case of theseven men from Chad who most recently tried to enter the country, theywere arrested on Jan. 27 under the Customs Act and turned over to Canada Border Services Agency immigration officers at the Emerson port of entry, according to RCMP.

The Calgary man police say was driving the rented vehicle they were in, 49-year-oldSaleh Youssouf,was charged under the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act.

Court records show he was previously charged with assault by choking, assault and unlawful confinement in Calgary. He's scheduled to appear in court there in July.

In an email to CBC News, Border Servicessaid it doesn't provide comment or details on specific individual cases, and that an individual's border and immigration information isprotected underthe Privacy Act.

Ngarbouisaid he hopes the sevenmen from Chad will be treated well.

"I hope the Manitoban authorities, the Canadian government authorities think of what made those people to cross the borders and to come here to seek asylum or to seek safety," he said.

"It's a humanitarian situation, so whatever their cases are, I hope that the Canadian authorities will grant them asylum."

Winnipeg man shocked, but not surprised, at recent border crossing

8 months ago

Duration 2:41

Raymond Ngarboui came to Canada by way of Cameroon at the end of 2005 as part of a federal government sponsored refugee program. However, he acknowledges not everyone receives the chance to leave his former home, Chad.