New York City officials have begun busing migrants who would like to seek asylum in Canada at no cost to Plattsburgh, New York, which is about 20 miles from the Canadian border. From there, migrants pay for taxis to enter Canada.
Mayor Eric Adams had initially condemned leaders from southern states such as Texas, arguing that busing migrants were inhumane. Fabien Levy, the mayor’s spokesman, wrote in a tweet that Texas Governor Greg Abbott’s “continued use of human beings as political pawns is disgusting. NYC will continue to welcome asylum seekers w/ open arms, as we have always done, but we still need support from DC.”
Although Mayor Adams had previously welcomed the migrants, he has since changed his stance, saying that the New York City government was straining to absorb 42,000 people in need.
New York City officials are now facilitating the relocation of migrants to the US-Canada border, where crossings are increasing.
Mayor Adams stated that the city was not forcing migrants to leave and said on Tuesday that “we speak with people and they say they desire to go somewhere else. So, there’s no coordinated effort.”
The arrival of newcomers into Canada has been a cause of concern for Canadian immigration officials. Christine Fréchette, the Quebec Immigration Minister, called the development “surprising” and added that the new onslaught of migrants made it imperative to "solve the problem of Roxham Road.”
Roxham Road refers to an unofficial border crossing that allows migrants to circumvent the Safe Third Country Agreement between the US and Canada, which states that migrants must make an asylum claim in the first country they enter at an official border crossing. This loophole will allow migrants to hear their asylum cases in Canada instead of the US.
The number of asylum seekers crossing from the US into Canada was more than 39,000 in 2022. 4,689 people entered Quebec via Roxham Road in December 2022, more than all of the “irregular border crossings” in 2021.
Roxham Road begins in Champlain, New York. The city’s mayor, Janet McFetridge, criticized Mayor Adams’ actions, saying that “the Democrats were so quick to criticize these governors for moving people and it seems like they didn’t even know where they were going. It’s too bad when human beings in need become a political show.”
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