Yanditswe na Kathreen Harrison
“Turi gushaka ubutaka twakwita iwacu. Abashaka ubuhungiro nabo ni abantu”
– Ahmed H., ukomoka mu Misiri
Umupaka w’amajyepfo ya Leta Zunze Ubumwe za Amerika iteka uhora mu makuru uvugwa mu birebana n’abimukira, bitandukanye n’umupaka w’Amajyaruguru, cyane cyane agace kawo gahuza Quebec na New York – nyamara nawo ufite agaciro kanini ku bashaka ubuhungiro.
Ahmed H. ni urugero rumwe mu barenga ibihumbi bashakaga ubuhungiro mu myaka ishize, bahisemo gutangira ubuzima bushya muri Canada aho kuba muri U.S. Akuruwe na raporo z’uko muri Canada bafatwa neza, bikiyongera ku mahirwe yo kuba yarahahawe ubuhungiro, mu gihe muri US atari yahakiriwe neza.
Aganira natwe ari muri Staten Island, Ahmed H. (amazina ye yarahinduwe), yagize ati “Umugore wanjye nanjye twashakaga kwaka ubuhungiro muri U.S., gusa tuza kubona ko bitewe n’uburyo urwego rw’abimukira rukora muri Amerika, ndetse n’uburyo bake cyane mu bakomoka mu Burasirazuba bwo Hagati ari bo babona ubuhungiro muri Amerika, twashoboraga gutegereza imyaka nk’itandatu, irindwi cyangwa 10, nyuma yaho bakaba banatwangira bikaba ngombwa ko tugenda”.
Niyo mpamvu, Ahmed H. n’umugore we bahisemo kwaka ubuhungiro muri Canada “aho abisaba ubuhungiro bafatwa neza kurusha”. Uyu mugabo wari umuhanga mu by’ubwubatsi iwabo, yibasiwe na leta y’igihugu cye bitewe n’uburyo yabonaga politiki yahoo. Yarafunzwe, akangishwa kwicwa, maze abwira ko umukobwa wabo bazamubura. Niyo mpamvu basize ibintu byose – Ubutaka, inzu, imodoka, ubizigame n’ibindi. Agira ati “twaje dushaka ahari umutekano, hari ubuzima butuje twatuzamo umukobwa wacu. Akeneye inshuti, ishuri mbese ubuzima. Twaje muri Amerika dushaka umutekano. Twaje kuko nta yandi mahitamo twari dufite. Gusa ubu turizera kubona ubuhungiro muri Canada”
Diane Noiseux, umuhuzabikorwa w’urwego rw’abimukira mu kigo New Americans/Joint Councl for Economic Opportunity ishami rya Plattsburgh, N.Y., nawe yemeza aya makuru ko impunzi zifatwa neza muri Canada kurusha muri Amerika. Agira ati “Bahabwa aho kuba, ubwihsingizi bwo kwivuza, impapuro zo gukora, amashuri,” avuga kandi ko bahabwa ubufasha mu by’ubukungu ndetse n’ubundi bufasha bakenera. Ibi byose bikaba impamvu zituma bamwe mu bimukira bahitamo kwaka ubuhungiro muri Canada aho kuba muri Amerika.
Indi mpamvu nini ni igihe gito bategereza ngo bategwe amatwi, cyangwa se ngo ubusabe bwabo bwigweho. Mu myaka ya vuba ishize, icyo gihe cyariyongereye kikagera ku myaka nk’ibiri muri Canada, bitewe n’umubare munini w’abasabye ubuhungiro, gusa icyo gihe kiracyari gito kuri bamwe muri Canada ugereranyije no muri Amerika aho abasaba ubuhungiro hari abashobora gutegereza imyaka igera ku 10 ngo byibura babashe gutegwa amatwi. Mu gihe bategereje, abashaka ubuhungiro muri Amerika bashobora kuba batemerewe gukora byibura umwaka wambere mu gihugu, bakabaho ku mfashanyo z’abagiraneza, kandi bakabaho batemerewe kubona imiryango yabo basize mu bihugu bakomokamo. Igihe cyo gutegereza ngo bahuzwe n’imiryango yabo gishobora kutaba kirekire cyane muri Canada. Uretse kuba baravuye ku butaka bwabo, ibi binabatera n’ihungabana. Ndetse no guhangayikira abo basize iwabo baba bari mu kaga.
Umwe mu bantu bategereje gutegwa amatwi muri Amerika A.K yandikiye Amjambo Afrika agira ati “Guverinoma yatangiye gutoteza umuryango wanjye iwacu. Ubuzima bwanjye nabwo bukomeje kurushaho kuba bubi. Ntabwo nzi icyo nakora ngo ndinde umuryango wanjye uri iwacu muri iki gihe ntegereje gutegwa amatwi mu biro bishinzwe abasaba ubuhungiro ,kuko bifata imyaka myinshi kandi hakaba ubwo binarangira nabi”
Ahmed H. yandikiye Minisitiri w’Intebe Justin Trudeau mu kwezi kwa cumi, avuga Canada nk’ “nk’umurinzi w’ikiremwa muntu ndetse n’uburenganzira bwa muntu,”, ari nako yamagana “ubuzima bubabaje kandi budahamye hamwe” bwa benshi mu mpunzi muri Amerika. Yanditse agaragaza amarangamutima y’abasaba ubuhungiro muri Amerika avuga ko ugereranyije na benshi, we n’umuryango we ari abanyamahirwe. Agira ati “ twebwe ho, dufite amafaranga ahagije atuma tubaho… dufite uburiri – gusa hari benshi tuzi batabifite… bamwe mu bantu bakoresheje amafaranga yabo yose, kandi bikarangira basubijwe iwabo. Byose bikaba igihombo … ntabwo ushobora gufunga umuryango mu maso y’abantu. Nta kindi baba bafite bakora. Batakaza ibyiringiro byose.. benshi muri Amerika barababaye. Abasaba ubuhungiro bakwiye gufatwa bitandukanye”.
Mu gihe abantu bamwe nka Ahmed H. na A.K. baza muri Amerika bafite ikizere cyo kwaka ubuhungiro, abantu bateganya gukomereza muri Canada kuva mu ntangiriro. Benshi mu bimukira baza mu gice cy’Amajyaruguru y’Uburasirazuba bwa Amerika, baza baturutse muri Amerika yo hagati, Afurika na Haiti. Bamwe batega indege bakava muri Afurika bagatungukira muri Ecuador cyangwa Brazil, bitewe n’uko amategeko yo kubona visa adakaze cyane muri ibyo bihugu, maze bakambuka Darien Gap, ihuza Columbia na Panama bagenda n’amaguru. Uru rugendo ruba rwuzuye ibyago karemano ndetse n’ibyatezwa na muntu byiganjemo ishimutwa, abajura bitwaje imihoro, kwambuka imigezi minini n’amaguru, kuba bakwicwa n’ibikomere cyangwa inzara- akenshi ugasanga izi ngendo zikorwa abantu bari kumwe n’abana bato cyangwa bateruye impinja.
Bamwe muri aba bimukira kuri ubu bari muri Maine, harimo n’abaje mu mpeshyi ya 2019, izwi cyane muri Maine nka “Expo Summer”. Abandi baje vuba aha, mu gihe cy’ icyorezo, bakaba baratujwe mu nzu zakira abashyitsi muri Greater Portland ndetse n’indi migi bituranye, aho bategereje gukora ibazwa. Ndetse n’ubu hari abari munzira ubu, batazi neza uko ibyabo bizarangira.
Dr. Kathyrin Dennler, umushakashatsi ukorana cyane n’ikigo cyiga ku buhunzi muri Kaminuza Ya York muri Canada yagarutse ku “mubare munini w’abifuza impinduka” bihuje kugirango ngo bahindure ibintu ku mupaka wa US na Canada: izamukira ry’ibikorwa byibasira abantu ku mugabane, imanuka cyane ry’ababona ubuhungiro muri Amerika, ibihugu byinshi bigenda bihagarika kwakira abimukira, icyorezo ndetse n’ibihugu byinshi bigenda bikora ibihabanye n’ibikubiye mu masezerano mpuzamahanga yo kurengera impunzi.
Kuva mu 2016, benshi mu basaba ubuhungiro mu kivunge begereye umupaka wa Canada bavuye ku gice cya U.S. gifite ihuriro ry’imiryango itari iya leta igizwe n’impuguke mu mategeko, imiryango y’amadini, n’indi bihurije hamwe ngo bagerageze gufasha aba bashaka ubuhungiro kumva neza amategeko agenda ubuhungiro ku mpande zombie z’umupaka, ndetse bakaba banahabwa ubufasha igihe byakenerwa. Imwe muri iyo miryango twavuga nka Bridge not Borders, Plattsburgh Cares, Canadian Sanctuary Network na Kaminuza ya Detroit Mercy ishami ryayo ryigisha amategeko areba abimukira – ryahagarariye imiryango 16 ifite aho ihuriye n’ibibazo by’umupaka wa Canada na U.S., ndetse inavugana n’abandi benshi.
Quebec ni yo yakira umubare munini w’abambuka umupaka binjira muri Canada igakurikirwa na Ontario ku mwanya wa kabiri. Mu 2019 honyine, abantu 16,660 binjiriye ku mupaka wo kubutaka wa Quebec ( mu bantu 20,485 binjiye muri Canada), naho abantu 16,136 binjirira mu buryo budasanzwe muri Quebec (mu bantu 16,503 binjiye batyo muri Canada yose).
Mu kwezi kwa 3, 2020, imipaka yose ihuza U.S na Canada yarafunzwe ku bashaka ubuhingiro bose, ndetse n’abandi bose. Abantu bari baheze ku gice cya U.S ndetse n’abari bakiri mu nzira bagana muri U.S – bishoboka ko bari bakiri kwambuka Darien Gap, cyangwa ahantu muri America yo Hagati- mu rugendo rurerure rwo gusaba ubuhungiro muri Canada – nta kindi bashoboraga gukora uretse gutegereza ko imipaka yongera gufungurwa. Abantu bimazeho utwabo twose, imiryango ifite abana yitsindagira munzu z’inshuti cyangwa se ikarara kumihanda, amahema yo mu migi aruzura abantu barasonza.
Bamwe mu mpunzi begereye umupaka mu gihe cy’icyorezo, bizeye ko wenda bagira amahirwe bakemererwa bagatambuka, gusa bake cyane nibo babigezeho. Mu mezi icyenda yambere ya 2021, impunzi 389 bafatiwe ku mupaka winjira muri Quebec. Abakozi b’umupaka bakoze ibyo bashoboye ngo babonere abo bantu aho gukinga umusaya, ibibatunga ndetse n’uburyo bwo gukora ingendo, gusa ubushobozi bwabo ntabwo bwari bwinshi, ndetse n’uburyo izo mpunzi zari zihagaze ntabwo bwari bwiza. Bamwe muri abo ukuyemo abarebwa n’amasezerano yo mu 2004 ya U.S na Canada arebana n’umutekano w’ibihugu byakira impunzi zivuye mu bihugu n’ubundi byari byarahungiye mo (Safe Third Country Agreement STCA), bari bemerewe kwambuka umupaka. Gusa nk’uko bitangazwa na Alex Vernon, uyobora ishuri ry’amategeko y’abimukira mu ishuri ry’amategeko rya Mercy, ngo rimwe na rimwe urwego rushinzwe abinjira muri Canada hari ubwo rukora amakosa, maze ku bw’amakosa abantu bagahabwa ibipapuro bibakumira muri Canada (ikintu gishobora guteshwa agaciro baramutse basomye neza inyandiko).
Tariki 21 z’ukwa 11, Canada yatangaje ko abasaba ubuhungiro barinjiriye ku mipaka itemewe iherereye hagati y’imipaka yemewe, harimo n’uzwi nka Roxham ngo ntabwo bazasubizwa muri Amerika, ibi bikaba bibaye ku nshuro yambere kuva icyorezo cyatangira. Iri tangazo rikaba ryarahise rikwira hose, maze abashaka ubuhungiro barongera batangira kongera kwegera imipaka, bizeye ko bakwemererwa kwinjira muri Canada ku nshuro yambere kuva mu kwa 3 umwaka wa 2020. Bari kwegera imipaka izwi yo ku butaka, ndetse n’imipaka itemewe kandi benshi ntabwo bazobanukiwe cyane amategeko agenga abimukira muri Canada.
Dore uko amasezerano yo kurindirwa mu gihugu cya gatatu asobanura ugize umuryango:
Umufasha | Urera umuntu mu buryo bwemewe n’amategeko
Umwana | Nyina cyangwa se | Mushiki cyangwa musaza
Nyirakuru cyangwa sekuru | Umwuzukuru
Sewabo/nyirarume cyangwa nyirasenga/nyinawabo
Umwishywa | Uwo mwashakanye mu buryo butemewe n’amategeko | Uwo mwashakanye muhuje igitsina
Inyandiko zibyemeza zirakenerwa
Ya masezerano twavuze ya STCA avuga ko iyo umuntu yambutse akagera muri Canada avuye muri U.S yinjiriye ku mupaka wemewe maze agahita yaka ubuhungiro, bazahita basubizwa muri U.S, uretse gusa igihe baba bari mu marengayobora ane akurikira. Iryambere ni iryo kuba umuntu afite uwo mumuryango muri Canada, kuba umuntu ari umwana udafite umuherekeje, kuba asanzwe afite ibyangombwa, cyangwa se kuba byaba bikozwe mu nyungu rusange. Iyo umuntu asubijwe muri U.S kuko bigaragaye ko nta rengayobora yisangamo, bahita banacibwaho iteka ryo kutazongera gusaba ubuhungiro muri Canada. Rimwe na rimwe, abo boherezwa bakagaruka muri U.S, bahitira muri za gereza cyangwa se mu mugambi wo kuburiza indege bagasubizwa mu bihugu bakomokamo.
Babandi bambukira ku mipaka itemewe nka Roxham, amategeko ya Canada avuga ko ya masezerano ya STCA bo atabareba. Aba bantu baba bashobora kwinjira muri Canada maze bakuzuza ibipapuro byo gusaba ubuhunzi. Ubwo rero, kwinjirira ku mupaka udahoraho byaba ari byo byiza ku baba bifuza kwambuka umupaka. Abantu kandi birukanwa hashingiwe ku masezerano ya STCA bashobora kuzongera bakagerageza kwinjirira ku mupaka idahoraho bakajya muri Canada. Aba bantu baba bagomba gukorerwa isuzuma ngo barebe ko nta kibazo bateje, igikorwa cyitaruhije cyane. Iyo batsinze iri suzuma, baba bashobora kubona sitati y’ubuhunzi cyangwa se iy’abantu bagomba kurindwa n’igihugu. Nyuma yaho baba bashobora gusaba guhabwa ibyemezo bibemerera gutura ku buryo bwa burundu. Iyo byanze, baba bashobora kohererwa mu bihugu byabo bakomokamo.
Vernon yavugiye mu ishuri ry’amategeko rya Mercy ati“akenshi, kuza gusa ukagera ku mupaka ni ibintu bibi kurusha ibindi”.
Ibi kandi byemezwa na Dennler agira ati “Haba harimo ibibazo byinshi. Biba bishobora kugira ingaruka rimwe na rimwe ziba zishobora kugera ku gufungwa cyangwa se kurizwa indege umuntu agasubira mu gihugu akomokamo”.
Amasezerano ya STCA niryo pfundo ku kibazo cyo kumenya ni umuntu afite amahirwe yo kuba yatangira ubusabe bwe ku mupaka w’ubutaka muri Canada. Amasezerano avuga ko impunzi zigomba gusaba ubuhungiro mu gihugu gitekanye cyanyuma zigeramo. Icyo ni U.S. kuri babandi bahitira muri Amerika yo Hagati cyangwa iy’Amajyepfo. Ikibabaje, abantu benshi bumva nabi irengayobora rireba abafite abantu bo mu muryango batuye Canada muri ya masezerano ya STCA, maze bikarangira bimwe uburenganzira bwo kwinjira muri icyo gihugu. Abo bantu basobanura iryo rengayobora nk’irivuga ko iyo umuntu afite mwenewabo muri Canada, uyu muntu aba ashobora kwinjira mu gihugu ubundi agatanga ubusabwe bwe bw’ubuhunzi. Nyamara mu by’ukuri, bamwe mu bagize umuryango nibo bahabwa agaciro nk’uko bikubiye mu masezerano. Urugero nk’ababyara n’ababyeyi bo muri batisimu, ndetse n’abisengeneza ntabwo babarwa. Ikindi kandi uburyo uwo muntu atuye muri Canada nabwo bwitabwaho cyane, ndetse n’ibindi byinshi birebwa.
Ahmed H. yamagana aya masezerano ya STCA agira ati “ntabwo ari ikosa ry’impunzi kuba badafite benewabo muri Canada, kugirango babashe kwemererwa kwinjira muri Canada mu buryo bwemewe n’amategeko nk’uko biteganywa n’amasezerano. Ntabwo rwose ibi bikwiye nta n’ubwo biha abantu amahirwe angana. Kuki izo mpunzi zemererwa ariko izidafite umuntu muri Canada zikangirwa?”
Benshi mu Banyakanada bemeranya na Ahmed H. Bemera ko STCA ivuguruza inshingano mpuzamahanga ku burenganzira bwa muntu Canada yemera, ndetse bamaze igihe mu nkiko basaba ko aya masezerano yateshwa agaciro. Ingingo batanga ni uko U.S atari igihugu gitekanye ku bashaka ubuhunzi, ndetse ko kohereza abasaba ubuhungiro muri U.S. bihongora uburengazira bwabo nk’abantu. Urubuga rwa interineti rw’urwego rwa Canada rwita ku mpunzi rwibutsa umuntu umwe wasabaga ubuhunzi wagaruwe muri U.S. bitewe n’uko atari afite irengayobora rimurengera. Ibyamubayeho bigaragaza neza impamvu benshi batekereza ko U.S. idakwiye gufatwa nk’igihugu gitekanye.
Morgan (ntabwo ari ryo zina rye ry’ukuri) yaje ku mupaka wa Canada mu 2015 kugirango asabe ubuhungiro. Gusa ntibyamugendekeye neza, kuko abakozi ba Canada ubwo bamubazaga impamvu yahunze igihugu cye, (aho yari yaterwaga ubwoba abwirwa ko azicwa bitewe n’uko yamaganaga ruswa muri politiki y’igihugu cye). Yahise abazwa niba afite umuntu bafitanye isano muri Canada, maze asubiza ko ntawe. Yahise asubizwa muri Amerika ako kanya, ananiwe, ibintu byamurenze mumutwe, kandi afite ubwoba bwinshi… yamaze iminsi 10 afungiranye wenyine muri karere ka Clinton muri Leta ya New York… nyuma y’aho hashize iminsi 51 ararekurwa, akomeza kugerageza ngo arebe ko yabona ubuhungiro mu kwa munani 2017, akurikiye ingero z’ibihumbi byinshi, yambutse umupaka anyuze Roxham. Ubu ari muri Canada, gusa ibisigisigi bya ya masezerano ya STCA bikomeje gutuma adatera imbere. Ntabwo ashobora gusaba ubuhungiro, kuko itegeko ryemerera umuntu gusaba ubuhungiro inshuro imwe gusa mu buzima. Uburyo yavuye mu gihugu cye asa nk’ucikishijwe bituma adashobora gusubizwayo, gusa abayeho mu keragati adafite ibyangombwa.
Ubwo noneho imipaka yongeye gufungura, abagize ihuriro rivugira abimukira bari kwiyegeranya ngo bafashe ibihumbi by’abantu bari kwerekeza Plattsburgh, NY – akajyi gato gatuwe n’abantu 20,000. Gusa ubushobozi bw’iri huriro nabwo ni buke – benshi mu miryango nk’iyi ibeshwaho n’inkunga, impano ndetse n’abakorerabushake. Abagize iri huriro bahangayikishwa n’uko mu gihe bakora uko bashoboye ngo bafashe abaza bagana umupaka ariko ntibabashe kwambuka kubera impamvu imwe cyangwa nyinshi, bashobora kugira aho batarenga kubera ubushobozi buke.
Diane Wardell, umukorerabushake ukorana n’umuryango Plattsburgh cares, atsindagira ko aka gace ari icyaro cyane, ndetse n’amahoteli y’aho akenshi akaba yuzuye (kandi bo ubwabo bakaba badafite ubushobozi bwo iyi miryango mu gihe kirenze iminsi mike); amazu atuzwamo aba bantu nayo aba yuzuye (kandi aya mazu ari hafi ari muri Vive muri Buffalo cyangwa se Freedom House muri Detroit). Ubufasha buke buboneka buvuye mu bakorera bushake twavuga nk’imodoka zo gutwara aba bantu ndetse n’amafaranga yo gukora ingendo, ibyo kurya bike n’imyenda ishyushye. Wardell agira ati “Cyakora tugerageza gukora ibyo dushoboye kugirango dufashe abantu kugeza imbere hakurikiyeho hategakanye mu rugendo rwabo rurerure”.
Kuva mu 2017, umuryango Bridges not Borders wabaye isoko nziza y’amakuru aboneka kuri interineti yifashishwa n’abantu bifuza kwambuka binjira muri Canada banyuze Roxham. Abantu basura urubuga rwabo bariyongereye cyane mu gihe cy’icyorezo. Bakira kandi inyandiko z’ababandikira bakoresheje interineti bafite agahinda baba basubijwe inyuma bitewe n’amabwiriza yaje mu gihe cy’icyorezo, cyangwa se baba barakumiriwe na ya masezerano ya STCA.
Wendy Ayotte, umwe mu bagize ubuyobozi bwa Bridges not Borders agira ati “akenshi nasangaga mfite bite nshoboye gukora birenze kubasubizanya umutima mwiza”. Akomeza agira ati “igihe nishimira cyane ni igihe mbonye ko umuntu wasubijwe inyuma yashoboraga kwemererwa hagenerwa kubigengwa n’irengayobora ryo mu masezerano STCA, cyangwa se yakumiriwe bitewe n’amabwiriza y’ifungwa ry’umupaka (urugero: Umuntu utagira igihugu). Bamwe muri aba bantu babona ubufasha butangwa n’umuryango Vive Shelter mu ishami ryawo ry’abanyamategeko, bagategura ibazwa rya STCA. Nagiye mbwirwa n’abantu benshi babashije kwinjira muri Canada binjiriye ku mupaka w’ubutaka, ko ubwo abantu binjirira Roxham batazongera gusubizwa muri Amerika, icyo ni ikintu kiza cyane”.
Abafatanyabikorwa bemera ko amategeko n’amabwiriza ahurira ku kwambura umupaka wa U.S na Canada ateye urujijo, bagatsindagira ko ubushakashatsi bwitondewe bwaba ari igitekerezo cyiza mbere yo gufata umwanzuro wo kwambuka.
