A 22-year-old Kenyan man who fled his motherland to seek asylum in Canada has been sleeping on the streets for several weeks now.
Speaking to Toronto Star, the young man whose identity is being withheld, revealed that he chose Canada as his asylum due to its fame for having the best human rights. He was in for a shock as it wasn’t the Canada he had been expecting.
“My life back at home was not safe, so I came here to seek refuge. I expected I’d get some help from the government, and when I reached the airport… we were told to look for shelters. So I was brought here,” he said.
The young man, along with several other asylum seekers have been forced to pitch camp with their suitcases at Canada’s 129 Peter Street.
In a heated back and forth with Central Intake, the claimants say officials always tell them to be patient and wait. This is while they continue sleeping on the cold pavements.
“I didn’t expect this. I thought I would be helped. But at least they are telling us to wait, so there’s a promise.”
“We’re told the shelters are full, we’re given another number and when you call that number, they give the same answer, the same story, day in and day out. We’re just waiting,” said the 22-year-old.
Since his arrival at the airport, the Kenyan national has been to Toronto’s street outreach team centre. He and his fellows have been allowed to access the centre’s bathroom and showers.
They were, however, denied permission to linger around the facility that is meant as a shelter intake site.
Reports indicate that there has been a tug-of-war between the Canadian government and the Feds, over who should foot the bill to shelter asylum seekers.
As this battle continues to brew, throngs of immigrants of different backgrounds have continued to bubble up and accumulate on the sidewalks.
Meet US-based Kenyan couple helping Kenyan, African immigrants settle in US
It is also at the expense of the health and safety of the newcomers with their luggages. The young Kenyan has found himself wound up in hospital briefly due to the strain of sleeping unsheltered.
“As time goes on, you adapt to the environment because there’s not any place you can go. You’re new to Canada and you know no one,” he said.
He relies on well-wishers to get by the day, particularly with meals. However, this Canadian reality struck him as a surprise.
“I didn’t expect this as this is what we have to pass through,” he narrated to Victoria Gibson, a journalist at Toronto Star.
Asylum centres in Canada have stretched themselves beyond capacity to accommodate more people. But they cannot take in everyone.
The developing scene has infuriated some social service workers who have called upon the higher government to step up with more support.
“Every morning we find refugee claimants lined up outside our door, hoping that this is the day they can get a shelter bed. This is a crisis,” the official wrote.
