border visit october 6, 2019

Sunday, October 6th, 2019. Afternoon at Roxham Road, USA
It is a mild autumn day. A total of 11 people crossed into Canada while we were at Roxham Road.  

First to arrive was the small shuttle bus taxi bringing eight people: three women, one man, a teenage boy, two girls and a baby.  A first family group went over, then a single woman. A mother with teenage boy and girl aged about 6 or 7 were waiting with us. The mother was tearful and very afraid. She said she was from Nigeria. They went to the border's edge and stood uncertainly as the police officer said his piece. Then the little girl moved ahead and her mother and brother followed.  Several people had taken  the new hand-knitted hats on offer and we put a hat on the baby's head and one little girl took finger puppets.

The second and last taxi brought three men who were not together but had shared the taxi.  One was a young man about 18 years old or so and who looked south Asian.  He spoke no English or French.  One of the other men was shabbily dressed and looked as though he had been traumatized. He was very polite with the police officer, replying 'yes sir' and when he was told it was his choice whether to cross or not he replied in accented English :  ''I have no choice. I need protection.''  

We stayed another hour but no one else arrived.