Video: What is Roxham Road

 

Based on this video:

a)    The current situation facing refugees in the chosen example. 

Roxham Road is a county road located on the border between the United States and Canada. More specifically, it is between Vermont, a state in the USA, and Quebec, a province in Canada. This is a narrow dirt road. It is popular for an unofficial entry to Canada from the USA. Generally, a person needs to obtain a visa or permission to enter Canada or any other country. When people enter a country, they must request asylum in that country, not in another country. Along this route, individuals can enter Canada unofficially and request asylum or immigration.

 The current situation is that the road is closed. Police have established a permanent camp on this corridor to prevent human flow to Canada. When people arrive at this point to enter Canada without a visa, the police ask them to return. If they still try to enter, police arrest them in Canada. 

b)    What factors led to these people becoming refugees? 

The refugees had used Roxham Road for years. The flow of people increased when the president of the USA, Donald Trump, said in a meeting in the Oval Office why the USA is welcoming people from the “shit hole countries.” This is a very disgraceful comment to any human from any country. The comment was made when many people moved from Haiti to save their lives. Those people are scared that they might be sent back to their home country, where the situation remains very stressful. In the meantime, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau tweeted a message welcoming all people in need of help. So, the people who were refugees in the USA from the Caribbean or African countries tried to flee once again to Canada in the hope that Canada would be a better country that would treat them well. 

c)    Your analysis of Canada's response to these populations and what it should be. 

Canada needs more people to work for their country. It is a well-known country that easily accepts different kinds of immigrants, including refugees, and grants them Permanent residency. For many people living in other countries, Canada is often their first choice for relocation and starting a new life. 

However, Canada has limited funds for asylum seekers. Additionally, its infrastructure needs to improve to accommodate and integrate the new population. This means that Canada needs more hospitals, roads, houses, schools, shelters, and recreation centers for newcomers. Without improving these infrastructures, Canada is taking in more refugees, when the shelters and funds are not enough. 

Moreover, the funds available are used first for European refugees and then for Caribbean and African people. That’s why these people often struggle to find space in shelters or receive sufficient help to survive. Some of them died waiting outside the shelter on the road. This is not an acceptable situation. 

Canada should have an excellent plan to accept new populations and distribute them among the different provinces according to their needs and skills. The country should prepare sufficient infrastructure to accommodate its current population. The government should allocate enough funds to handle the refugees properly.