The United States and Canada’s proposal to restrict the arrival of Caribbean and other asylum applicants at their borders has been dubbed “unfathomably cruel” by immigrant groups in New York.
This followed reports of asylum seekers crossing the US-Canada border illegally at locations like Roxham Road near the country’s northern border.
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Over 200 immigrant and refugee rights organizations in New York are collectively represented by the New York Immigration Coalition (NYIC), which on Sunday vehemently condemned this decision and called for expanded protections for asylum seekers, claiming that it “recklessly endangers the lives of asylum seekers.”
Murad Awawdeh, NYIC executive director stated, “Asylum seekers flee violent conditions to build better futures for themselves and their families.” He added, “They undergo extreme journeys across thousands of miles in search of safety and relief.
“To now restrict the movement of asylum seekers is to recklessly endanger their lives,” he continued.” Although Canada’s proposal to create a new refugee program for only 15,000 asylum seekers is a betrayal and is insufficient for either nation to uphold its humanitarian obligations to give sanctuary to all those who require it.
“President Biden cannot continue to shirk his responsibilities and take pages out of the xenophobic Republican playbook for political gain,” Awawdeh noted. “He must honor his promise to protect asylum seekers by welcoming them with open arms.”
Following their recent meeting in Ottawa, US President Joe Biden and Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau released a joint statement in which they stated that the Los Angeles Declaration on Migration and Protection “enshrines our belief that irregular migration requires a regional approach centered on expanding legal pathways and humane border management and recognizes that we must address the underlying economic and security drivers of migration.
“The United States and Canada remain committed partners in advancing the principles of the Declaration,” it noted. “As part of its commitment to these principles, Canada will welcome an additional 15,000 migrants on a humanitarian basis from the Western Hemisphere over the course of the year to continue expanding safe, regular pathways offered throughout the hemisphere as an alternative to irregular migration, with a path to economic opportunities.
“Additionally, US and Canadian officials are now poised to implement an agreement to apply the terms of the Safe Third Country Agreement to asylum seekers who cross between ports of entry, which we anticipate will deter irregular migration at our shared border,” the statement continued. “We will remain in close coordination as we work to implement this new agreement.”
In addition, both leaders stated that they “remain concerned about the deteriorating security in Haiti and committed to increasing international support for the Haitian people, including through security and humanitarian assistance, enhanced support for the Haitian National Police, and by holding accountable those who undermine Haiti’s stability.”
Refugees from Cuba and Haiti have attempted to cross the southern border of the United States.
The Road Forward: Blueprint to Address New York City’s Response to the Asylum Seeker Crisis, a thorough plan outlining the city’s rebuttal to the unprecedented humanitarian crisis brought on by the surge of Caribbean and other asylum seekers arriving in the five boroughs since last spring, was released earlier this month by New York City Mayor Eric Adams.
Adams said he would establish the Office of Asylum Seeker Operations (OASO) to coordinate the city’s ongoing response with an emphasis on resettlement and legal assistance, as well as a new 24/7 arrival facility for asylum seekers, as the number of asylum seekers arriving in New York City since last April reaches 50,000, with more than 30,000 already in the city’s care.
Many of the asylum seekers are from Cuba, Haiti, and Venezuela.
The blueprint also outlines new strategies the city will pilot to train asylum seekers for employment, including a program with houses of worship to provide asylum seekers with a place to stay and connection to services, in addition to a partnership with the State University of New York (SUNY) Sullivan to provide job training and housing for asylum seekers as they await work authorization.
The mayor said the city will continue to advocate for the state and federal governments to provide additional financial and operational support to better manage the asylum seeker crisis moving forward.
Mayor Adams noted, “Over the past year, New York City has faced an unprecedented humanitarian crisis caused by global forces beyond our control.”
“We have moved mountains to help the tens of thousands who arrived as our shelter population has increased at a dramatic rate.
“As we continue to respond, I’m proud to announce, ‘The Road Forward,’ our blueprint to address the asylum seeker crisis and outline the work that lies ahead,” he noted. “New Yorkers know that the asylum seeker of today is the citizen, the leader, and the innovator of tomorrow, and I’m proud that New York City is leading the way, turning a crisis into an opportunity for progress for the entire country.”
First Deputy Mayor Sheena Wright noted, “The asylum seeker crisis has challenged so many of us in various ways – and the city’s response has been and continues to be laden with care and compassion. ”She added, “Our blueprint is a plan for how we will move forward together, and I implore everyone at all levels to help however you can. This affects us all, and together is how we can best navigate this crisis.”
According to Adams, New York City has performed well throughout this crisis, essentially handling the extraordinary influx of asylum applicants on its own.
While more than 50,000 asylum seekers have passed through the city’s intake system since last spring, he claimed that at present, New York City is housing more asylum seekers than any other city in the country with over 30,000.
Tens of thousands of asylum seekers arrived in the city last year, and the city immediately began a quick, coordinated multi-agency effort to meet their basic needs. This effort included providing shelter, food, clothes, access to healthcare, legal advice, education, and more.
The Asylum Seeker Resource Navigation Center and satellite locations were also established by the city, which, according to the mayor, have helped more than 14,000 asylum seekers by offering casework, legal, medical, and enrollment in school services, among a variety of other services.
