border visit, february 17 2019

Sunday,  February 17th 2019. Afternoon at Roxham Road, USA. 
A cold winter day at the border.  While we were there a total of 8 people (4 adults and four children) crossed into Canada. 

The first taxi to arrive brought a friendly man in his early thirties. He spoke little English and said he came from Yemen via Saudi Arabia.   He spoke Arabic with the taxi driver. He did not need any warm things  (although he was only wearing shoes).  The RCMP officer spoke to him stating the protocol. At first he hesitated and the officer repeated the message. Finally the taxi driver said in Arabic 'Go, go go!'. He then crossed into Canada.

Next arrived a young woman from Uganda. She was very nervous but open to talking with us. She accepted several warm things and we exchanged a hug before she went to the border's edge. She waited there (as we explained to her) but no RCMP officer came. After a couple of minutes an officer stuck his head outside the building and said, 'You are under arrest, come over.' and she went.

Finally came a taxi with two families of African origin. One family was a young woman with a baby and the second was a woman in her late 30's with three children (aged about 14, 10 and 8).No one was dressed appropriately for the cold and they accepted some warm things.   They went to the border and walked toward the RCMP officer who told them to stop more than once,  but the woman with the baby, who was in front just walked by him and the rest followed. The officer was very angry and stopped them outside the building and  told them they were under arrest. He berated them and asked 'Why didn't you stop when I told you? Then he started asking  questions including:  'Where's the father?'   ' What documents do you have?'  He then took the woman with the baby inside the building and made the other family wait outside in the cold despite their inadequate clothing.  They waited about 10  minutes before he took them inside.