Vigil organizers say inhumane laws are to blame for migrant’s death

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Today, we stand in solidarity with the family of Fritznel Richard and with all those who experience border violence.

A small group gathers and listens to speakers at a memorial honoring Fritznel Richard in Montreal, Sunday, Jan. 15, 2023. Richard died attempting to cross the Canada-US border on Jan. 4. Photo by Allen McInnis / Montreal Gazette article

At a candlelight vigil in downtown Montreal on Sunday for Fritznel Richard, the 44-year-old man of Haitian descent whose lifeless body was found near the Canada-US border earlier this month, organizers blamed Canada’s immigration policies and the existence of borders in general for the deaths.

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According to a November report by the International Organization for Migration, more than 50,000 people worldwide have died during migration since 2014, including at least 451 from Haiti.

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These border deaths are no accident, said Hady Anne, spokesperson for Solidarity Across Borders, a Montreal-based migrant justice network. It would be more accurate to characterize what is happening to migrants and refugees around the world as border killings. These deaths should not be normalized. We are here to tell the government and those responsible for immigration policy that we hold them accountable.

Anne said it was equally important to recognize the anti-black racism behind many immigration policies, and the resulting dehumanization for Haitians and other black migrants.

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Richard’s lifeless body was spotted by a US Border Services helicopter on patrol Jan. 4 in a wooded area in Saint-Bernard-de-Lacolle, near Roxham Road. The rural route is a popular crossing point for asylum seekers coming to Canada, but Richard had lived in Montreal for several years. Police suggested Richard travel to the United States in late December to visit his wife, but he died en route of hypothermia in a snowstorm.

A coroner is investigating the circumstances surrounding Richards’ death, including why he did not enter the United States at an official border crossing.

Organizers of the Sunday vigil blamed border politics in general and the Safe Third Country Agreement in particular for Richards’ desperate and fatal attempt to travel under the radar. Under this agreement between Canada and the United States, a refugee claimant is required to seek asylum in the first safe country they arrive in. Migrants can apply for status in Canada if they cross an unofficial border, which has led to an increase in the number of asylum seekers. cross at unofficial crossing points, to avoid being automatically returned to the United States

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Mr Richard was forced to put his life in danger, and he lost his life as a direct result of a deliberate Canadian immigration policy, Anne said.

During the vigil held in front of Complexe Guy-Favreau, friends of Richard sang a Haitian song and lit candles in his honor. The approximately 50 participants chanted status for all, calling for permanent resident status or citizenship for all people currently living in Canada.

We want to break through the fear and isolation associated with the reality of being a non-status person, Anne said. The demand for status for all rejects the divide-and-conquer tactic used by the state to classify migrants as deserving rather than undeserving, or good versus bad.

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Florence Bernard of the collective Caring for Social Justice spoke about the increasingly aggressive efforts by states around the world to keep migrants out.

Border Police are using dogs, tear gas and batons to fend off people trying to cross. By blocking commonly used immigration routes with these violent methods, people are forced through hostile terrain. And that’s what cost Fritznel Richard his life.

She also cited a 2021 report that estimated Canada detained between 9,000 and 15,000 migrants each year.

Today, we stand in solidarity with the family of Fritznel Richard and all those who experience border violence, said Bernard.

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A man found dead near the border likely died of hypothermia while trying to reach a family member under the US Safe Third Country Agreement which will be considered by the highest court The Tory leader Poilievre calls for closure of Roxham Road border crossing

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