CAMPAIGN 31 WEEK 8

A Tale of Protection: Ara

The increased risks of Bill C-31

lot of the dialogue surrounding Bill C-31 focuses on the issue of human smuggling, and the need to protect the safety and security of Canadians. The reasons for the inclusion of certain draconian clauses in the Bill have been peddled as safety gates to keep criminals out. However, many people insist that raising these gates will not only have the opposite effect of whats intended, but they will detrimentally effect those in dire need of protection people who have paid for escape. Here is the other side of the story... Ara and her family fled Afghanistan a few years ago during the war. Being a wealthy and affluent family at the time, they were directly targeted by various groups, and their lives were at severe risk. They had no choice but to flee to a neighbouring country and go into hiding. Living underground in constant fear took its toll on this family as they grew increasingly desperate and anxious about their impending fate. For these reasons they jumped at the chance to leave the country when a smuggler offered them a route to safety. Ara and her family used their remaining resources to pay their way to safety. Its important to note that Ara didnt choose to go to Canada; the choice she made was to leave the precarious situation she was in. The choice she made was to save her life. Aras path took her through multiple countries, separating her from the rest of her family along the way. In Mexico, Ara was taken by land through the US into Canada without making a legitimate border crossing. Ara had no control through this entire process, needing to trust the strangers that were moving her, and having no idea the fate of the rest of her family. The entire experience was quite harrowing for her. Once in Canada, Ara was dropped off on the doorstep of an agency known for serving refugees. The agency assisted her in securing housing and supported her in making a refugee claim. Based on the real and extreme risks Ara was facing, and the merit of her claim, she was accepted as a refugee. The rest of her family wasnt so lucky. They were apprehended along the way and have since been sent back to Afghanistan. They have escaped again and are hiding in a neighbouring country. Ara is working with community agencies to bring them to safety in Canada.

The Conservative government is arguing that provisions included in Bill C-31 are meant to deter smugglers. Under this Bill, people that arrive as irregular arrivals could face detention for up to a year. However, these provisions are punitive to the people at risk. In Aras case, a year in detention after her journey and being separated from her family would only compound her problems. One can argue that Ara did nothing wrong. She saw a way to save her family and she took it. She hadnt time to consider any queue of refugees lined up before her, seeking asylum in Canada. When she paid the smuggler, she wasnt even aware of where she would end up. But its these people who will suffer under the new laws. Tightening our borders is not the answer to deter smugglers. Multiple studies have been done that show that when a country closes its doors, smuggling and trafficking increase exponentially. People that seek the services of smugglers are often desperate, and have no problem risking everything in the hope that they will gain asylum in another country. While acknowledging that human smuggling is a crime, we have to be mindful that in dire situations such as Aras, smuggling is the only option to survive. The bottom line in this case is that human smuggling possibly saved Aras life. If she hadnt left the precarious situation that she was in, there is no telling what would have happened to her. Its important to look at the bigger picture here: building walls to keep criminals out will put countless innocent people at risk.