border visit, July 29, 2018

Sunday July 29th, 2018.  2.30 pm - 4.30 pm. Roxham Road, USA.
A hot sunny day. A total of 24 people crossed into Canada which is the most we have seen in many weeks.  First came a taxi with an Asian family of three (mother, father and girl aged about 8 years old) and a single man of African origin. They crossed without incident. Next came two taxis with a group of 10 people from the Democratic Republic of Congo: three women, three teenagers (2 girls and one boy) and four small children including one baby. They were happy to take cups of water on offer. They too crossed without incident. Both times the RCMP stuck to their protocol.
 
Next came a single young man in his early 20’s. When we spoke to him he did not appear to understand us. He looked very anxious and fearful and walked straight across the border passing by the RCMP officer who shouted “Stop!” and when the young man continued he shouted “Stop!” again and became very angry yelling at the man: “You f**king stop when I tell you to stop! Don’t you f**king come here like it’s your place, you are f**king under arrest,”.  He then took the young man into the building and slammed the door after them.  We spoke with the taxi driver who had brought the man. The driver said that he had attempted to explain to the young man that he needed to wait at the border until the RCMP spoke to him but that the man did not speak enough English to understand the instructions.

Next a taxi arrived with a group of people from Zimbabwe: two men, a woman, a teenage girl and a baby of 13 months. They took water to drink and then crossed without incident and the same RCMP officer stuck to the protocol.  Finally, a family of four from Mali arrived: mother, father, a boy of about 4 years old and a year-old baby. They had to struggle to get their luggage across the border in one go.  Although it is not part of their protocol, the RCMP asked them where they were from. First the man replied “New York” and then when asked again, said they were from Mali. They then crossed into Canada.