US Refugee influx straining Ont. city's services

[Praxius]

Looks like Canada is getting the US's sloppy seconds:



CTV.ca | Refugee influx straining Ont. city's services

The number of Haitian and Mexican refugee claimants pouring into the southwest Ontario border city of Windsor is unprecedented, says a social agency worker there. "We've never seen anything quite like this, this amount of people coming all at once," Jacquie Rumiel of the Windsor and Essex County YMCA told Canada AM on Wednesday. Hundreds of Mexicans and Haitians have filed for refugee status there. They are overwhelming local services and prompting calls for federal help from Premier Dalton McGuinty. So far, more than 300 refugees -- many with children born in the United States -- have crossed into the province by bus from Detroit, just across the Detroit River. "There is definitely a strain on all resources," Rumiel said, adding the YMCA only provides referral services. Yanick Samedy, from Haiti, spent 15 years living in Florida. Desperate to avoid a deportation crackdown, and after hearing rumours Canada would accept her, she fled north with her family. "We heard that, so everyone takes their chance," she told CTV News on Tuesday. After five hours with border officials her refugee papers were in order. But because Windsor lacks enough facilities for immigrants like Samedy, she's been placed in a low-budget hotel. Still, she said the living conditions were far better than her homeland. "There's violence, insecurity, kidnapping, I already have four kids," she said. "It's not good to go back to my country." McGuinty stressed that the sudden influx of refugees is not just a problem for Windsor -- it's a problem for the entire country. Windsor Mayor Eddie Francis has said that city services are being pushed to the limit because of the situation. He estimates that housing and social assistance for the refugees is costing the city hundreds of thousands of dollars. Last Friday, Francis met with Jacques Sinjuste, founder of Jerusalem Haitian Community Centre in Florida. Sinjuste, accused of being responsible for sending a wave of immigrants to Windsor, told Francis there are more busloads on the way. "He gave specific reference as to one that will be coming the first week of October and they've already made accommodation arrangements on the Detroit side of the border," Francis said. Social assistance Currently, 185 of the 300 refugees are being given social assistance in Windsor. Francis has written the federal and provincial governments asking for funding to help cover the cost of housing them while they wait for their refugee claims to be heard. The province at present pays about 80 per cent of the costs while municipalities take care of the rest. McGuinty said the province will be sending more cash to help deal with the situation. "No single Canadian community should have to assume all the financial costs associated with those refugees on their own," he said, adding that he is asking the federal government to also help out. Most of the immigrants have arrived with the help of Florida-based groups who say Canada has special permits to provide Mexican and Haitian citizens claiming refugee status a quick turnaround. Refugee status Most of the claims have little chance of success, because Canadian refugee status is only meant to be given to people with a well-founded fear of persecution in their home country. According to the Geneva Convention, persecution must be based on reasons of race, nationality, membership of a specific social group or political opinion. Gender, in some cases, can also be a factor. Also, those applying from a "safe third country," such as the U.S., are ineligible to make refugee claims at a Canadian border crossing by land. If Mexicans come to Canada through the U.S., for example, they must make refugee claims there, and are not eligible here.

So we're getting a pile of your refugees crossing to our borders now...... lol.... expect a pile of them coming back by the way this sounds.

I personally don't have an issue with imigrants coming to Canada... so long as they don't mind being placed in a paticular location in the country where there is ample space and assitence..... and they're willing to work.

But your buddy in Florida who seems to think Canada is a good dumping grounds and telling all the imigrants to head to Canada is yet another avoidance of responsibilities and passing them off to someone else..... again.

I'm more pissed that this guy told them that there would be no issues coming into Canada, when there clearly is a few issues. They were threatened with deportation away from their children, in the country they have originally tried to get citizenship from, they are told to head to another country instead because the regulations and such permit it...... they don't.... and now all these people who had to flee north to us, now will be sent back in limbo, and then will be sandwhiched between the two countries fighting about who gets who and who get's deported back to their original country.

This kind of rings similar to when the US wanted to pass of inmates in the Guato Jails in Cuba to Canada, rather then take them into their own country.

.... Plus admitting that this guy is setting up another bus load of immigrants to come to Canada from the US..... this screams such a pass off, it's sick.

You know.... at least he could have kinda balanced it between proviences, rather then telling all the immigrants to head to Ontario. At least then, one town or city wouldn't be taking the brunt all at once and perhaps we wouldn't have noticed so quickly, thereby you guys might have been able to get rid of more immigrants.

Too simple of an idea I suppose. :rolleyes:

[Chancellor]

Quote by: Praxius Looks like Canada is getting the US's sloppy seconds: CTV.ca | Refugee influx straining Ont. city's services So we're getting a pile of your refugees crossing to our borders now...... lol.... expect a pile of them coming back by the way this sounds.

They're not our refugees! They're illegal aliens who have no right to be in either the United States or Canada.

I personally don't have an issue with imigrants coming to Canada... so long as they don't mind being placed in a paticular location in the country where there is ample space and assitence..... and they're willing to work.

I have a problem with people entering my country illegally. If they want to come into my country, let them do it legally. One of the women was in the United States illegally for 15 years!

But your buddy in Florida who seems to think Canada is a good dumping grounds and telling all the imigrants to head to Canada is yet another avoidance of responsibilities and passing them off to someone else..... again.

No, putting them on a boat and dropping them off in their home countries is a good dumping ground.

I'm more pissed that this guy told them that there would be no issues coming into Canada, when there clearly is a few issues. They were threatened with deportation away from their children, in the country they have originally tried to get citizenship from, they are told to head to another country instead because the regulations and such permit it...... they don't.... and now all these people who had to flee north to us, now will be sent back in limbo, and then will be sandwhiched between the two countries fighting about who gets who and who get's deported back to their original country.

They should all be sent back to their original countries.

This kind of rings similar to when the US wanted to pass of inmates in the Guato Jails in Cuba to Canada, rather then take them into their own country.

Why should we allow suspected terrorists to roam free in our country - especially since some of them gained easy access to our country through your country?

.... Plus admitting that this guy is setting up another bus load of immigrants to come to Canada from the US..... this screams such a pass off, it's sick.

So stop being such nice, wimpy people and turn the buses back!

You know.... at least he could have kinda balanced it between proviences, rather then telling all the immigrants to head to Ontario. At least then, one town or city wouldn't be taking the brunt all at once and perhaps we wouldn't have noticed so quickly, thereby you guys might have been able to get rid of more immigrants.

Well, Ontario's a big province with a lot of areas that are still relatively uninhabited.

Too simple of an idea I suppose. :rolleyes:

A simpler one would have been to just deport these people back to their home countries.

[Praxius]

Quote by: Chancellor They're not our refugees! They're illegal aliens who have no right to be in either the United States or Canada.

Well since most have children born in the US, and now those children are now coming across our borders.... I think the US refugee tag suits.

I have a problem with people entering my country illegally. If they want to come into my country, let them do it legally. One of the women was in the United States illegally for 15 years!

15 years and have ample opportunity to have children at that... yet where your system failed, we seem to be footing the bill now.

No, putting them on a boat and dropping them off in their home countries is a good dumping ground.

Considdering how each of their situations is quite different from the next, this generalization seems a tad innacurate.

Why should we allow suspected terrorists to roam free in our country - especially since some of them gained easy access to our country through your country?

Oh come off it.... why would they sneak into your country from our country, just to come back to our country in the end? :rolleyes: You do realise we also get illegal immigrants trying to get into our country as well?

Now instead of the normal illegal immigrants we have to deal with, now we got your's. Maybe in a few years when this is all forgotten, we'll pull the same stunt and send all our's across your borders and see how you like it. (I'm sure it wouldn't be enjoyed much, considdering how much you guys complain about it now)

And suspected terrorists? wtf did that come from? Since when did all these immigrants suddenly become suspected terrorists? Talk about a word suddenly being over used these days.

So stop being such nice, wimpy people and turn the buses back!

Isn't that what I just said to expect in the original post?

Well, Ontario's a big province with a lot of areas that are still relatively uninhabited.

Um.... Ontario is one of the more populated proviences in Canada.... seeings how our capital and one of our largest cities is located there.

And regardless of the open space in Ontario.... all these immigrants have been shipped off to one town in Ontario, not various towns in Ontario... which is the point I'm trying to get at.

A simpler one would have been to just deport these people back to their home countries.

Indeed, I agree it would have been..... but some smart ass down there thought it'd be a great idea to get them all to come here for some reason. Now we're involved in a situation which was only your problem, making it even more complicated. Not to mention you have refugee children born in the US trying to come here now...... do you propose they get shipped off too, even though they are as much of a US citizen as you are?

If not... then who takes care of them when their parents are shipped back?

[Chancellor]

Quote by: Praxius Well since most have children born in the US, and now those children are now coming across our borders.... I think the US refugee tag suits.

Not really. Of course, the children aren't the ones seeking refuge.

15 years and have ample opportunity to have children at that... yet where your system failed, we seem to be footing the bill now.

No, it isn't that the system failed it's that the federal government hasn't bothered to enforce existing laws.

Considdering how each of their situations is quite different from the next, this generalization seems a tad innacurate.

Their situations are irrelevant.

Oh come off it.... why would they sneak into your country from our country, just to come back to our country in the end? :rolleyes: You do realise we also get illegal immigrants trying to get into our country as well?

Sneak into the US to do their dirty work then sneak back into Canada because they like Canada.

Now instead of the normal illegal immigrants we have to deal with, now we got your's. Maybe in a few years when this is all forgotten, we'll pull the same stunt and send all our's across your borders and see how you like it. (I'm sure it wouldn't be enjoyed much, considdering how much you guys complain about it now)

You people actually have immigration laws up there? :) Seriously, though, maybe you should consider tightening up your airport and seaport security.

And suspected terrorists? wtf did that come from? Since when did all these immigrants suddenly become suspected terrorists? Talk about a word suddenly being over used these days.

Where did that come from? Oh, maybe from this statement you made: "This kind of rings similar to when the US wanted to pass of inmates in the Guato Jails in Cuba to Canada, rather then take them into their own country."

Isn't that what I just said to expect in the original post?

If you did, I didn't catch it but either way it's what you people should do.

Um.... Ontario is one of the more populated proviences in Canada.... seeings how our capital and one of our largest cities is located there.

Yes, I'm well aware of that. You forget that I live less than two hours away by car from Toronto.

And regardless of the open space in Ontario.... all these immigrants have been shipped off to one town in Ontario, not various towns in Ontario... which is the point I'm trying to get at.

Windsor is a port of entry. Feel free to ship them further north.

Indeed, I agree it would have been..... but some smart ass down there thought it'd be a great idea to get them all to come here for some reason. Now we're involved in a situation which was only your problem, making it even more complicated.

Maybe it's because Canada has such liberal immigration policies and is a socialist nanny state?

Not to mention you have refugee children born in the US trying to come here now...... do you propose they get shipped off too, even though they are as much of a US citizen as you are? If not... then who takes care of them when their parents are shipped back?

Under the 14th amendment the children are citizens. That doesn't mean they're necessarily entitled to have their non-citizen parents living here illegally. So, yes, ship the parents back to their home countries and if they want to keep their children they can take their children with them. Otherwise, they lose the right to their children and we can put them all up for adoption.

[Praxius]

Quote by: Chancellor No, it isn't that the system failed it's that the federal government hasn't bothered to enforce existing laws.

Isn't that the system?

Sneak into the US to do their dirty work then sneak back into Canada because they like Canada.

Oh please..... hang on while I send my secret ninjas from iceland after you. :rolleyes:

What dirty work would be required to be done to your country, seriously? I don't think you guys need our secret operative assistence in this situation.

You people actually have immigration laws up there? :) Seriously, though, maybe you should consider tightening up your airport and seaport security.

They are where they need to be. Their passes were in order. That doesn't mean they get a free ride.

And we're not the ones freaking over border security.

Where did that come from? Oh, maybe from this statement you made: "This kind of rings similar to when the US wanted to pass of inmates in the Guato Jails in Cuba to Canada, rather then take them into their own country."

Ah yes, I do say a lot don't I? I misread the wrong quote.

In response to your orignal statement, those accused terrorists you claim would be roaming your streets, are ones who have been exonerated of their crimes, but can not go back to their countries because they face torture or death..... so they decided to pawn them off to us. That's what I was trying to get at. The fact that they were captured, accused of being a terrorist, held for numerous years in pretty shitty conditions, pardon my french, and then found not guilty of their crimes.....

... one would think the country who put them through this would kinda pay them back and help give them some kind of life again.

Under the 14th amendment the children are citizens. That doesn't mean they're necessarily entitled to have their non-citizen parents living here illegally. So, yes, ship the parents back to their home countries and if they want to keep their children they can take their children with them. Otherwise, they lose the right to their children and we can put them all up for adoption.

Wow... That American Dream sure keeps sounding better and better every day.

[grandpa]

Quote by: Chancellor No, it isn't that the system failed it's that the federal government hasn't bothered to enforce existing laws. .

Rules it can't enforce without becoming (or staying as) a brutal, sadistic police state (and a racist one, as well)..

Grandpa h.