About Us |
qUANT À NOUS -- EN FRANÇAIS |
Our first demonstration at the Lacolle border crossing
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We are a group of citizens in and around Hemmingford, Quebec, who are dedicated to the welfare of refugees who cross the border near our homes. We are concerned about the conditions that cause them to come, as well as by the manner in which they are received here. We believe that borders should be bridges for those in need of safety and protection, rather than barriers that exclude them.
Our group has three kinds of activities:
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We understand that people are fleeing the USA because they feel no longer safe there. We believe that Canada has the resources to help these asylum seekers and an important role to play. The world is facing the worst refugee crisis ever. Nearly 71 million people have been forcibly displaced from their homes by violence, conflict and persecution. Most of those displaced across borders now live in countries with limited or no resources. For example, one out of every 6 people in Lebanon is a refugee and Turkey is host to 3.6 million refugees. We feel Canada can do more to respond to this crisis.
Our table at the Woolgathering
Our first group activity in September 2017 was a table at the Roxham Road Woolgathering, for which we had made buttons with the theme 'Refugees Welcome'. We also provided information explaining how the 'Safe Third Country Agreement' between Canada and the USA forces refugees to cross irregularly to prevent being sent back to the USA (see the pages WHY and WHO for this info).
Our second activity was to participate in a demonstration at the border crossing at Lacolle which was organized by the Montreal-based group Solidarity Across Borders. This was a response to the presence at the Lacolle border of far right groups opposed to the irregular crossings of asylum seekers. A local artist created the beautiful 'Bridges not Borders' wood cut after which we named our group.
Our second activity was to participate in a demonstration at the border crossing at Lacolle which was organized by the Montreal-based group Solidarity Across Borders. This was a response to the presence at the Lacolle border of far right groups opposed to the irregular crossings of asylum seekers. A local artist created the beautiful 'Bridges not Borders' wood cut after which we named our group.
The Roxham Road border as seen from the USA side
In order to provide information to the people in the area, we've published an article about the irregular border crossings on Roxham Road in the local community bulletin, Info Hemmingford. You can read the article in English and French on pages 6 and 7 of the October 2017 issue (for more media coverage, see the Media page).
We have close connections with members of Plattsburgh Cares, a group that supports refugees who want to cross into Canada. We're also in contact with Solidarity Across Borders (Montreal), as well as with various groups, comittees, and institutions that support refugees locally and in Montreal (including UNHCR).
We have started to visit the USA side of Roxham Road where refugees are crossing, we organized an info meeting about refugees in Hemmingford, and we've been lobbying the local MPs Anne Quach (NDP) and Brenda Shanahan (Lib) about our concerns. You'll find more information about our activities on the News page and in the newsletters posted on the Blog.
We have close connections with members of Plattsburgh Cares, a group that supports refugees who want to cross into Canada. We're also in contact with Solidarity Across Borders (Montreal), as well as with various groups, comittees, and institutions that support refugees locally and in Montreal (including UNHCR).
We have started to visit the USA side of Roxham Road where refugees are crossing, we organized an info meeting about refugees in Hemmingford, and we've been lobbying the local MPs Anne Quach (NDP) and Brenda Shanahan (Lib) about our concerns. You'll find more information about our activities on the News page and in the newsletters posted on the Blog.