Asylum Seeking Migrants Leaving New York City For Canada

Asylum seeking migrants that arrived in New York City seeking a better life and opportunities have started heading toward Canada. The migrants are provided with bus tickets at the Port Authority Bus Terminal in Manhattan. They then board buses that transport them as close to the Canadian border as possible where they are dropped off, and look for transport that will get them to the Canadian border. The bus tickets are paid for by the city. Some charity organizations are also helping migrants find a way out.

Free Tickets

“The military gave me and my family free bus tickets,” Venezuelan migrant Raymond Peña told the NY Post. “I am going to Canada for a better quality of life for my family.”

When Peña refers to the military, he is talking about the National Guard soldiers who direct migrants to staffers who hand out free tickets. The free tickets are part of the re-ticketing effort that provides migrants with the opportunity to travel to other places in the US. Peña and his family left New York and were dropped off at a bus stop that’s less than half an hour from the Canadian border. The word has spread amongst the migrants that Canada is a viable option for a better life. Some have learned of this through the grapevine in New York while others learned about it from social media.

Drop Off Points

Migrants arrive at their drop-off points and find innovative entrepreneurs who operate taxis and shuttles that transport them to the Canadian Border. Taxi drivers charge $70 per person while a van driver, Tyler Tambini, charges between $40 and $50 per individual and $90 per family. “There’s gotta be 100 people a day,” said Tambini, who is a driver for his sister’s boyfriend. “I do this all day. They get dropped off and I take them the rest of the way.”

Asylum seeking migrants are only allowed to travel within U.S. borders pending the approval of their asylum applications. According to the NY Post, they destroy their documents before they get to the Canadian Border. Once they get to the border they are arrested by officials there and processed. 

Running From NYC’s Problems

Migrants are leaving New York City to get employment and get away from the problems in the city’s shelter system. Notably, they are also escaping New York for safety as crime continues to rise in the city, with many being killed on subways and caught in crossfires while walking in the street. “I wanted to live in New York because I thought it would be a better future for my daughters,” said Susy Sanchez Solzarno. “But as the days went by, I saw insecurity, many homeless people, many people who shout and are disrespectful, and many people on drugs.”

Manuel Rodon is a painter and construction worker. He simply wants to work but as an asylum seeker, he has to wait for 30 days before he can apply for a work permit. “It is very difficult to get papers in America,” he said. “I need to work, so I am going to Canada.”