Hundreds of Mexicans and Haitians have filed for refugee status in Windsor, Ont., 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.
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 麻豆影视.
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.
"These refugees aren't so much coming to Windsor as they're coming to Canada, and this is properly a federal responsibility," he said Monday following a campaign event.
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 a 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.
Last week, Canada's Public Safety Minister Stockwell Day said there would be "consequences" for any illegal refugees who try to enter Canada without proper documentation.
Day said Canada will take a zero-tolerance approach to anyone trying to enter the country illegally, but wanted to investigate specific claims in Windsor more closely.
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.
Meanwhile, a U.S. refugee worker was charged last week with human smuggling in Quebec, after she allegedly tried to help 12 asylum-seeking Haitians enter Canada.
Janet Hinshaw-Thomas, 65, may be the first human rights worker ever charged under Canada's Immigration and Refugee Protection Act.
With a report from CTV's Lisa LaFlamme in Windsor and files from The Canadian Press
