City braces for new influx of refugees
More than 260,000 El Salvadorans may face deportation from United States
The next big wave of refugees to arrive in Windsor could be coming from the United States.
More than 260,000 El Salvadorans could face deportation from the U.S. if they lose their temporary protected status, granted following a series of earthquakes in 2001, but which is set to expired in early 2018. Most will head for Canada and many will show up in Windsor because it is a border city, said Angela Ventura of the El Salvador Association of Windsor.
But they won’t be showing up empty-handed and desperate for support, she said. “They are coming from the U.S. where some of them have been for 20 years. They speak English, they work and will not be a burden to this country.”
Canada will be the preferred destination because “these people cannot go back (to El Salvador),” she said. A large number currently live in New York, Florida, Texas and California.
If they lose their protected status in the U.S. or fear they are about to, many could choose to come to Windsor because it’s close to their businesses and other connections, Ventura said.
“When (refugees) are a burden to taxpayers, people might get upset,” she said. “But these people coming will be able to work. Believe me, they will have money. It will be less expensive and less pressure for the government.”
But just because they show up, doesn’t mean Salvadorans or any refugees have a right to stay, according to Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada.
The agency said many of the Haitians currently crossing into Canada — largely in Quebec — are under the mistaken impression they will automatically accepted as refugees in Canada.
Canadian consulates in the U.S. are working to counter the myths circulating on social media, it said.
Anyone has a right to “due process” when arriving in Canada, but the agency noted about half of asylum claims made by Haitians in 2016 were denied and they were forced to leave Canada.
Also, those entering Canada illegally by crossing outside of an official border entry point are not getting “a free ticket into Canada,” Citizenship Canada said. They are arrested by the RCMP or other police agencies and taken to the nearest customs location for processing. They have their identities verified and receive health checks. Immigration and criminal records are checked.
If applicants are deemed not in need of protection they will be returned to their country of origin or their last permanent residence, the agency said. If eligible, their claim makes its way to the Immigration and Refugee Board for a hearing. Anyone rejected can appeal to the board’s appeal division and then federal court.
Refugees cannot apply to resettle in Canada at a Canadian consulate or embassy, said Julie Lafortune, spokeswoman for Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada.
“While Canada supports managed migration and is a welcoming society, we do not condone irregular migration,” she said, adding that policies will be enforced.
Windsor a year ago welcomed hundreds of refugees — most from Syria — who showed on the city’s doorstep in a matter of weeks.
“I believe the Syrian refugee peak has passed, but there will be lots of other refugees arriving in the future to Canada and there will be lots of different peaks,” said Mary Ellen Bernard, the city’s manager of social policy and planning. “We learned a lot through the experience and we are in a good position for whatever issues come up in the future.”
The latest figures for between April through June show Windsor received 100 government-assisted refugees with about half from Syria and a large number from Congo.
“The main challenge is often with large families and where they can live,” she said. “There is a bit of a shortage of available accommodations for them because our housing has gone up in price. But we have good community collaboration with agencies working together.”
But these people coming will be able to work. Believe me, they will have money.