(Montreal) Members of the Montreal community and the Haitian diaspora will gather late Sunday to honor the memory of Fritznel Richard, a migrant from Haiti whose body was found near the Canadian border at the beginning of of the month of January.
The event, organized by the organization Solidarité sans frontières and the collective Soignons la justice sociale, will take place at the Guy Favreau complex, in downtown Montreal.
Towards the end of December 2022, Mr. Richard had tried to join his wife and child who remained in the United States. While crossing the forest near Roxham Road, on the Canada-US border, he had been lost in a winter storm and had been unable to find his way back.
“It was a despair caused by the administrative delays, he had no more hope. He also couldn’t work due to work permit deadlines. All this, in addition to the stress and the separation from his wife, convinced him to return to his family,” said Hady Anne, spokesperson for Solidarity Across Borders, in an interview.
His body was found on January 4, and police authorities have confirmed that he died of hypothermia.
PHOTO FROM FACEBOOK
Fritznel Richard
Mr. Anne finds it difficult to explain this human loss, which he describes as “worrying”.
“Unfortunately, this is not the first case, and there are so many others. […] It’s really disappointing and sad to see, even today, people die like this because of the dysfunction of our administration. It’s terrible, ”laments the spokesperson, who himself immigrated several years ago.
In his view, “the primary responsibility is that of the Canadian state,” which frequently takes in people without ensuring that the conditions necessary for their integration are put in place.
“Canada needs to listen to organizations working on the ground. By listening to the cries of the hearts of migrants, such situations can be avoided, argues the spokesperson. If we allowed people to come to the border post to apply for asylum, we wouldn’t be there”.
Migrant crisis
The case of Fritznel Richard is neither the first nor the last. According to data from Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC), more than 23,000 people entered Canada through Roxham Road between January and August 2022.
In January 2017, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau tweeted that the country would take care of migrants arriving at its doorstep.
“To those fleeing persecution, terror, and war, know that Canada will welcome you regardless of your faith. Diversity is our strength”, could we read on his Twitter account.
According to Hady Anne, it is hope that leads people to seek refuge in Quebec and other provinces.
“Now, when they come, the delays are extremely long. How can you live in Montreal on $600 a month? People want to work, and work permits take 6 to 9 months, sometimes even a year before being granted”, he attests.
The spokesperson affirms that last November, Solidarity Across Borders had met with the Canadian Minister of Immigration, Sean Fraser, to “provide him with solutions”.
“Since then, it’s been radio silence. We are still waiting for a return, ”adds Mr. Anne.
Before his remains were found, Fritznel Richard had been the subject of a search notice launched during the holiday season by the Sûreté du Québec, between December 27 and 29. Police had ceased the search after receiving reports that the man had entered the United States.
The man had been living in Montreal for about a year after crossing the border to Canada with his family a year earlier. Failing to find a job, his wife had returned to settle in Florida with her young child. It was while trying to reach her that Mr. Richard lost his life.
This article was produced with the financial support of the Meta Fellowships and The Canadian Press for News.