Ghanian woman, walking into Canada from U.S., dies of hypothermia - police

[webfact]

Ghanian woman, walking into Canada from U.S., dies of hypothermia - police

REUTERS

 

TORONTO (Reuters) - A body found near the Manitoba border was that of a Ghanian woman who died of possible hypothermia trying to walk into Canada, U.S. police said on Tuesday.

 

The Kittson County Sheriff's office said they discovered the woman's body on Friday near Noyes, Minnesota which is directly across from the Canadian border town of Emerson where asylum seekers had been crossing in recent months.

 

The county sheriff, in concert with U.S. border patrol, had been searching for a missing woman following a call the previous day, according to a statement from the sheriff's office. A preliminary autopsy indicated hypothermia as cause of death.

 

Police declined to give any information about who reported the 57-year-old woman missing.

 

Canada has seen a spike in refugee claims this year, with more than 2,000 people coming across the U.S. border illegally since January.

Most of those border crossers had been living legally in the United States but say they left because they feared President Donald Trump’s immigration crackdown.

 

(Reporting by Anna Mehler Paperny; Editing by Michael Perry)

 

-- © Copyright Reuters 2017-05-31

[sanukjim]

I hope that the weather gets to be warmer so that a lot more of these people leave the US for Canada.

[canuckamuck]

3 hours ago, sanukjim said:

I hope that the weather gets to be warmer so that a lot more of these people leave the US for Canada.

Our 9 months of winter is cheaper than building a wall.

Still, I am sorry the lady did not understand the danger and she lost her life.

Edited May 31, 2017 by canuckamuck

[gk10002000]

I guess I don't understand if they were living in the USA legally, why they would worry about immigration crackdown?  Granted the USA immigration policies are less than constant. But it sounds more like they are worried about not being able to bring over more of their relatives. 

[Stargeezr]

I have no  sympathy for this woman or  for anyone who illegally comes into Canada and dies in their attempt.  We do not need any more illegals or refugees that cannot speak either of Canadas two languages to come to our country and be a burden on Canada and its people. Tax Payers!

Geezer

[Jingthing]

14 minutes ago, Stargrazer9889 said:

I have no  sympathy for this woman or  for anyone who illegally comes into Canada and dies in their attempt.  We do not need any more illegals or refugees that cannot speak either of Canadas two languages to come to our country and be a burden on Canada and its people. Tax Payers!

Geezer

I have no sympathy for people that have no basic human compassion. Shame.

[Stargeezr]

Jingthing are you a Canadian Tax payer?   Thought not!  I am a senior on a fixed income and do not need  any of my tax  dollars going to  people who try to come to Canada illegally. I  also  do  not  agree  with the PM  of  Canada  bringing in all the  refugees when  there  are many people who are  trying  to  immigrate to  our  country and  who  are  denied.  That is one  of  my  reasons  for  a  lack  of  sympathy.  The other  one  is  that I  am  a  senior

who  has  lost his  pair  of   rose  tinted  glasses.

Geezer

[Jingthing]

I don't have any problem with your political views on immigration policy. I have a big problem with anyone that lacks any basic human compassion for an obviously desperate fellow human being that suffered and died to find a place to live on our planet. So callous. I'm hoping that you don't identify as a Christian because that would add hypocrisy to the lack of compassion. 

Edited June 1, 2017 by Jingthing

[Chris Lawrence]

There for the grace of God go I. A terrible way to go at 57. 

 

Only 2000 people in 5 months? Sounds as though they could do more.

[Scott]

Part of the problem for many of these people is that they entered the US legally and for various reasons, their status has now changed.   They may have been married to a US citizen who has died or divorced them, for example.   They may have been a student who finished school, but for whom it may no longer be safe to return to the home country due to war.   There are a lot of reasons that result in a change of status.

 

In the past, most of these people could turn themselves into ICE and apply to remain in the US.   If they were not in trouble with the law, Immigration would work with them to either get returned or to legalize their status.  

 

Since Trump has taken power, people are going for their scheduled appointments with ICE and are being promptly detained and deported.  

 

Sadly, these people are not the problem of Canada, but once they get a foot across the border, it's hard to return them to the US, which can simply refuse to allow someone back without a visa.  

 

The immigrant community is also rife with rumors and it may well be the case that many of these people did not need to leave, but under the current conditions, it is likely they did.  

[pegman]

On June 1, 2017 at 8:00 PM, Scott said:

Part of the problem for many of these people is that they entered the US legally and for various reasons, their status has now changed.   They may have been married to a US citizen who has died or divorced them, for example.   They may have been a student who finished school, but for whom it may no longer be safe to return to the home country due to war.   There are a lot of reasons that result in a change of status.

 

In the past, most of these people could turn themselves into ICE and apply to remain in the US.   If they were not in trouble with the law, Immigration would work with them to either get returned or to legalize their status.  

 

Since Trump has taken power, people are going for their scheduled appointments with ICE and are being promptly detained and deported.  

 

Sadly, these people are not the problem of Canada, but once they get a foot across the border, it's hard to return them to the US, which can simply refuse to allow someone back without a visa.  

 

The immigrant community is also rife with rumors and it may well be the case that many of these people did not need to leave, but under the current conditions, it is likely they did.  

Yes, she apparently lived in the USA for about 10 after her visa expired. The thing is her daughter lived in Canada and it may have been possible for her to apply for a visa from what I read in a recent news report.  I'm 60 miles from where she died and it has not been what us natives to this area would consider cold but I guess sadly she couldn't handle it.

[pegman]

On June 1, 2017 at 6:37 PM, Chris Lawrence said:

There for the grace of God go I. A terrible way to go at 57. 

 

Only 2000 people in 5 months? Sounds as though they could do more.

That's a real dumb statement. The 2,000 are only those in that one category. Those slipping in at other than USA-Canada border crossings.  Canada is taking 25,000 from Syria alone. 

[pegman]

On June 1, 2017 at 5:12 PM, Stargrazer9889 said:

Jingthing are you a Canadian Tax payer?   Thought not!  I am a senior on a fixed income and do not need  any of my tax  dollars going to  people who try to come to Canada illegally. I  also  do  not  agree  with the PM  of  Canada  bringing in all the  refugees when  there  are many people who are  trying  to  immigrate to  our  country and  who  are  denied.  That is one  of  my  reasons  for  a  lack  of  sympathy.  The other  one  is  that I  am  a  senior

who  has  lost his  pair  of   rose  tinted  glasses.

Geezer

I am a Canadian taxpayer/pensioner and I think your stance on this is pathetic and anti-Canadian. You must be one of those selfish, cold hearted, right wingnut Albertans. I just hope the NDP get in again there and all you guys drop from heart attacks. Plus you guys were born with a lack of sympathy.

[pegman]

On June 1, 2017 at 5:12 PM, Stargrazer9889 said:

Jingthing are you a Canadian Tax payer?   Thought not!  I am a senior on a fixed income and do not need  any of my tax  dollars going to  people who try to come to Canada illegally. I  also  do  not  agree  with the PM  of  Canada  bringing in all the  refugees when  there  are many people who are  trying  to  immigrate to  our  country and  who  are  denied.  That is one  of  my  reasons  for  a  lack  of  sympathy.  The other  one  is  that I  am  a  senior

who  has  lost his  pair  of   rose  tinted  glasses.

Geezer

One of the main reasons people are denied is that uber rich are taking up so much of the quota not a few trying to make there way around the border. Why don't you ask young people in Toronto or Vancouver who they blame for ridiculous home prices keeping them out of the market? It's not a few thousand poor refugees but millionaires from Hong Kong and China. Next time think before you write  you are embarrassing us thoughtful senior Canadians.

[Scott]

29 minutes ago, pegman said:

Yes, she apparently lived in the USA for about 10 after her visa expired. The thing is her daughter lived in Canada and it may have been possible for her to apply for a visa from what I read in a recent news report.  I'm 60 miles from where she died and it has not been what us natives to this area would consider cold but I guess sadly she couldn't handle it.

I haven't had a lot to do with refugee resettlement in Canada for a long time nor have I had much to do with visa applications.   This lady may have been theoretically eligible for a visa, but in practice, it is very, very doubtful that she would get one without having a valid passport.   Unless she had managed to keep her Ghanian passport renewed while in the US illegally, which is doubtful, it would still be difficult for her to get the paperwork done for a resettlement visa.

 

I don't know if she would have been able to get a tourist visa and then tried to remain, but she certainly ran some serious legal risks on the US side of the border in trying to get this done.  

[Basil B]

On 2017-6-1 at 11:12 PM, Stargrazer9889 said:

Jingthing are you a Canadian Tax payer?   Thought not!  I am a senior on a fixed income and do not need  any of my tax  dollars going to  people who try to come to Canada illegally. I  also  do  not  agree  with the PM  of  Canada  bringing in all the  refugees when  there  are many people who are  trying  to  immigrate to  our  country and  who  are  denied.  That is one  of  my  reasons  for  a  lack  of  sympathy.  The other  one  is  that I  am  a  senior

who  has  lost his  pair  of   rose  tinted  glasses.

Geezer

Why would an Asylum Seeker whom I assume has Asylum in the US want to go to Canada???

 

I can not think of any reason unless they are Economic Migrants... 

[Scott]

It sounds like she entered the US legally, but overstayed her visa and was thus illegal at this point in time.  

[pegman]

24 minutes ago, Basil B said:

Why would an Asylum Seeker whom I assume has Asylum in the US want to go to Canada???

 

I can not think of any reason unless they are Economic Migrants... 

Her daughter lived in Toronto and had just had a child she wanted to see. There was a group of fellow Ghanians who had gone that same route earlier and were approved to stay in Canada. A number of them lost fingers to frostbite after their winter crossing of the border.  

[pegman]

41 minutes ago, Scott said:

I haven't had a lot to do with refugee resettlement in Canada for a long time nor have I had much to do with visa applications.   This lady may have been theoretically eligible for a visa, but in practice, it is very, very doubtful that she would get one without having a valid passport.   Unless she had managed to keep her Ghanian passport renewed while in the US illegally, which is doubtful, it would still be difficult for her to get the paperwork done for a resettlement visa.

 

I don't know if she would have been able to get a tourist visa and then tried to remain, but she certainly ran some serious legal risks on the US side of the border in trying to get this done.  

 

42 minutes ago, Scott said:

I haven't had a lot to do with refugee resettlement in Canada for a long time nor have I had much to do with visa applications.   This lady may have been theoretically eligible for a visa, but in practice, it is very, very doubtful that she would get one without having a valid passport.   Unless she had managed to keep her Ghanian passport renewed while in the US illegally, which is doubtful, it would still be difficult for her to get the paperwork done for a resettlement visa.

 

I don't know if she would have been able to get a tourist visa and then tried to remain, but she certainly ran some serious legal risks on the US side of the border in trying to get this done.  

Yes Scott, it seems she would have qualified through an exemption to the USA-Canada agreement because of her new granddaughter. Likely she didn't know that.

 

"If she planned to make a refugee claim, Otuteye might have qualified to enter Canada legally at an official border crossing under the family member exception in the Safe Third Country Agreement, immigration lawyers say."

http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/manitoba/mavis-otuteye-ghana-death-safe-third-country-1.4143675

[Scott]

Thanks for the clarification.