Massive irregular entry to Stanstead | “It was a horror scene”

High up in a cube truck without ventilation. Furthermore, men, women and children were discovered by the Royal Canada Gendarmerie (RCMP) on Haskell path, near Stanstead, on the night of Saturday to Sunday. Similarly, These 44 migrants tried to clandestine the Canadian border.

Three alleged smugglers were arrested on the spot. Similarly, They appeared on Monday by videoconference at the Quebec courthouse. In addition, remain detained until their next appearance, scheduled for Wednesday at the Sherbrooke courthouse.

Alerted from an imminent illegal passage. However, the RCMP police massive irregular entry stanstead | patrolled the sector when they intercepted, around 2:20 am, a U-Haul cube truck. Moreover, At the opening of the rear door. However, the agents discovered the migrants, tightened against each other, in a state of dehydration.

“It was a horror scene, reports Sergeant Charles Poirier, from the RCMP. Therefore, The majority could not sit. Similarly, People were piled up, dehydrated, it was stifling, and the lack of air inside the truck was striking. Consequently, It could have ended very badly. Meanwhile, »»

The migrants explained that they had walked about two hours through the forest to reach the smugglers. However, get on the truck. Furthermore, The vast majority of people intercepted were of Haitian origin. Nevertheless, Among them were a few children, including a around four years old, as well as a pregnant woman.

The massive irregular entry stanstead | alleged smugglers are Ogulcan Mersin, 25, Dogan Alakus, 31, and Firat Yuksek, 30. They are accused of having encouraged. helped or encouraged, or attempted to do so, people to commit an offense under article 131 of the Immigration and protection of refugee law (LIPR). They also face a charge under article 11 of the Customs lawto have facilitated the entry of people elsewhere. than to an designated customs office.

After their arrest. the RCMP entrusted the continuation of the investigation to the Canada Border Services Agency (ASFC), which filed charges against the three suspects. The ASFC indicates that the investigation is still underway and that counts could be added.

Massive irregular entry stanstead |

Processing files

The 44 migrants were transported to the Stanstead border post. where they were taken care of by ASFC agents. All expressed massive irregular entry stanstead | their intention to request asylum in Canada. The Federal Agency then started procedures for assessing their eligibility.

“Fortunately, the interception was carried out near the border. We have avoided that they were transported over a long distance. ”underlines Miguel Bégin, director of the East border district of the ASFC.

However. due to the limited capacity of Stanstead, the majority of applicants were transferred to the regional treatment center in Saint-Bernard-de-Lacolle. “The treatment capacity of the Stanstead border post is after all limited. Therefore. the majority of applicants were transported to the regional processing center of Saint-Bernard-de-Lacolle and each of the files will be evaluated individually, ”specifies Mr. Bégin.

Approximately a third of intercepted people did not meet the exceptional criteria at theAgreement. on third party safe countries And were returned to the United States in massive irregular entry stanstead | the hours that followed. The other files are still in processing.

For Mr. Bégin, this interception is unprecedented. “What we experienced this weekend represents the equivalent of six months of asylum requests for Stanstead. Usually, there are about 120 applicants per year for all of eastern Quebec, ”he said.

The operation took place in a context of strong crowds in border posts, at the end of the construction holidays.

“On Sunday, in Stanstead only, our agents treated 1,300 vehicles during the day without there being one waiting time,” said Mr. Bégin. It attributes this effectiveness to the contingency plans: “For several months already. we develop scenarios to face situations that have never occurred before. It is precisely the quality of our preparation that allowed us to react so quickly. »»

The massive irregular entry stanstead | after-Roxham

For François Crépeau. professor of public international law at McGill University, the closure of Chemin Roxham had the effect of encouraging the clandestine passage networks.

“As long as we had the entrance by Roxham path, everyone entered without a smuggler. With a perfectly controlled system, the RCMP took the fingerprints, the identities, etc. So we knew what was going on, ”he explains.

“From the moment we close the Roxham path. try to block everyone, we open a market for migrant smugglers,” he continues.

According to him, this interception could only be the tip of the iceberg. “For a truck that is arrested. there must be several others who pass in one way or another, whether in a truck, whether on foot. Is it going massively right now? I don’t massive irregular entry stanstead | know. No one really knows. But you have to expect it to continue, ”he says.