Calgary man charged with human smuggling after seven African asylum seekers arrested near Emerson – Winnipeg Free Press

A Calgary resident has charged seven men with human smuggling in Manitoba after crossing the Canadian border near Emerson last month.

The seven men, believed to be asylum seekers, are from Chad, a north-central African country that has been in a political crisis since the assassination of its long-time president in 2021.

“The situation in Chad is dire right now,” said Alastair Clarke, a Winnipeg immigration lawyer who has represented other Canadians seeking asylum in Canada. “I hope these people are safe.”

RCMP said the Combined Border Enforcement Team was alerted by U.S. agents at around 3:45 a.m. on Jan. 27 as they were traveling along the railroad toward Emerson, about 100 kilometers south of Winnipeg.

That night, the temperature dropped to -10 degrees.

The men were wearing proper winter clothing and could have crossed into Canada within an hour of being spotted, RCMP said.

After the men were picked up, Border Patrol officers stopped the rental car at the intersection of Provincial Routes 200 and 201 near Dominion City.

RCMP said the male driver and seven passengers, aged between 27 and 49, were arrested.

Saleh Yusuf, the 49-year-old driver, has been charged with human smuggling under the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act.

Yusuf was released on bail on February 2 with the King's consent, and a trial date was set for March 4. He was given his passport and told to stay in Winnipeg.

The seven Chadian men were arrested under the Customs Act and handed over to Canada Border Services Agency immigration officers at the Emerson port of entry.

US Customs and Border Patrol agents were alerted when equipment installed along the border detected and captured images of the group traveling to Canada.

Agent David Marcus said the men left before CBP officers arrived.

“We never met them from the US side,” he said.

Tracks in the mud or snow matched the shoes worn by the men captured by RCMP, said Marcus, who lives in Grand Forks, N.Y.

It's unclear if the men were returned to the U.S. or if some or all of them remained in Canada.

Last year's changes to the Canada-US Safe Third Country Agreement mean that people entering either country between ports of entry will be turned back if found within 14 days of arrival.

Limited exceptions allow a person to remain in the country of entry while an asylum request is processed.

According to Clarke, some people from Chad decide to seek refugee protection from Canada because it is a Francophone country and it is more accepting of refugees than other countries. French is one of the official languages ​​of Chad.

Despite the risks, asylum seekers continue to try to cross the border in winter.

In December, RCMP found four men from Chad after they crossed the border near Emerson. One was seriously injured due to the weather.

A family of four from India froze to death in a snow-covered field east of Emerson in January 2022 during a blizzard while trying to walk to the US.

Dave Carlson, Reeve of Emerson-Franklin Township, said there is a “strange sighting” of someone crossing the border in or near Emerson.

“It's dangerous to do that,” he said. “It gets chilly at night, especially if you're not used to the temperature,” he said. “Exposure can get you.”

Fields are wet and snowpack is low due to recent mild temperatures, Carlson said.

This area is mostly open and less sheltered from the wind. It's easy to get lost or get turned around while walking past, Carlson said.

The RCMP and US Customs and Border Patrol are reporting an increase in crossings after travel restrictions from the COVID-19 pandemic begin to ease.

Manitoba RCMP reported 77 interceptions between ports of entry in 2023, up from 72 in 2022 and 19 in 2021.

US CBP reported 300 “encounters” in the Grand Forks sector, which stretches from North Dakota to Wisconsin, in the fiscal year from October 2022 to September 2023, up from 81 in the previous 12-month period.

These numbers include threats, deportations and people deemed inadmissible.

Mexican nationals make up the largest share of those apprehended by US agents, who say organized human-smuggling rings are fueling a surge in illegal crossings.

Smuggling fees are said to run into thousands of dollars.

“The criminal here is not the newcomer, it's the smuggler,” said Emily Halldorson, coordinator of the Manitoba Association of Newcomer Service Organizations. “(Newcomers) have a right to come to Canada to protect themselves.”

According to him, the number of local asylum seekers has doubled recently, from about 40-50 per month to 130 in October and 145 in November.

Halldorson cited instability in countries around the world.

She said shelters are increasingly accepting refugees who may not have access to supports such as employment and income assistance for weeks after arrival.

Halldorson and Humaira Jaliel, executive director of Healthy Muslim Families in Winnipeg, said changes to the Safe Third Country Agreement have made it harder for people to seek asylum in Canada.

“People coming here are looking for safety,” said Jalil, whose organization has helped refugee claimants crossing the border. “They turn to smugglers and pay a lot of money to bring them here.”

— With files from Dean Pritchard and Eric Pindera

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Chris Kitching
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As a general reporter, Chris covers a little bit of everything for the Free Press.

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