In recent months, hundreds of refugees have trickled across the US border into the western prairie province of Manitoba, which lies above North Dakota and Montana. Normally, only 40 to 60 cross each year.
The Manitoba Interfaith Immigration Council (MIIC), a non-profit organisation in Winnipeg that provides food, shelter and medical attention, and helps refugees file their asylum claims, in addition to offering paralegal services, has seen an unprecedented spike in refugees seeking their help.
“There were 21 people who crossed the border since last weekend,” said Rita Chahal, the executive director of MIIC. “In January alone, we had 40 refugees and since October to [the] end of January, we had 118 [refugees]. Those are huge numbers because in an average year we would normally see generally between 50 and 60.”
In her five years at MIIC, Chahal has never seen anything like the current spike, but suspects US President Donald Trump might have something to do with it.
Mualim and Ahmed say they were spooked by Trump and his immigration ban, which prohibited the entry of nationals from seven Muslim-majority countries – among them Somalia – for 90 days. Their decision to flee the United States was largely influenced by the president.
“Why I have to flee, is because of Donald Trump,” Ahmed said.
“It’s not safe, so I run. When new president came in, everything changed. The hate speech. The people who have the documents, the status, and everything, they cannot come in.”
Upwards of 90 Somalis, many of whom have had their refugee cases denied, have already reportedly been deported since Trump’s immigration ban, which has been temporarily blocked by Federal Judge James Robart.
“It was very hard but we didn’t have a choice,” said Mualim. “I couldn’t stay and feel safe any more in the United States. You have no choice or they will deport you back. You have only one choice: to cross the border.”