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Pakistanis from US to Canada being turned back

By Khalid Hasan

WASHINGTON: Hundreds of Pakistanis have been going across the border into Canada as “political refugees” to beat the new US immigration regulations.

Pakistan’s high commissioner to Canada, Shahid Malik, confirmed to Daily Times on Tuesday that there had been a sharp increase in the number of Pakistanis crossing into Canada in search of “political asylum.” Canadian laws on granting refugee status to victims of political persecution are quite liberal, something that Pakistanis and members of several other nationalities are taking advantage of. However, after discussions between US and Canadian immigration officials, a new accord has been finalised that would seriously restrict such movement.

Under a “Smart Border” arrangement, called the Safe Third Country Agreement, Canada could begin automatically turning away those trying to enter the country from the US, asking them to return to the US to undergo the process under the stricter US system. No implementation date has been set so far, but it is likely to come into effect in the coming spring. In the meantime, it is relatively easy to win refugee status in Canada. More than 44,000 refugee claimants were allowed into Canada in 2001, 13,000 of whom entered through the US.

Because of the sense of panic that now prevails in the Pakistani community living in America, those whose immigration status has a question mark on it or who are here illegally are making a bid to enter Canada from various land points. Last weekend, there were long queues at three crossing points into Canada from upstate New York and other border states. The average wait was eight hours. Most were admitted but some were returned.

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