Roxham Road symbolizes the final barrier for many migrants from Venezuela, Nigeria, Haiti, and other nations before entering Canada and the prospect of a new life.
Around 40 000 persons arrived in Canada via this method in 2022, more than double the number in 2017. More than 5000 migrants came in January with nothing except their few goods.
“I have always seen Canada on television and I have always dreamed of going there. I have seen a beautiful country and I would like to discover it. Because in my country, I suffered a lot and I would like to have a better life”, said a Marcello, a migrant from Haiti.
The migrants are taken to the nearest official border station to file an asylum claim after being checked and registered by police personnel. Several families with children are among the migrants.
“Kids are a lot more resilient. They’re just… I don’t think they realize what’s going on. So it’s not a big deal. They’re playing, they’re talking about the snow, they’re doing whatever. It’s the parents who are reacting more and sometimes we see very strong emotional reactions from people as they get ready to cross”, said Frances Ravensbergen, spokesperson for the NGO “Bridges not Borders”
But anti-migrant rhetoric is growing in Canada and there is increasing pressure to close this point of access.
“We already have fatalities. Closing Roxham Road is clearly going to mean more people trying to get across in a country where winter is a very dangerous time of year. We are talking about pregnant women, we are talking about families with children, so closing Roxham Road, for us, is putting all these people in danger”, argues Maryse Poisson, spokesperson of the NGO “Welcome Collective”.
The flow of asylum seekers, notably along Roxham Road, is scheduled to be discussed by President Joe Biden and Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau when the American President visits Ottawa in two weeks.