Quebec sees surge in number of asylum seekers from Bangladesh amid unrest

There has been a surge successful nan number of asylum seekers from Bangladesh to Quebec successful caller months.

Among them is Marjana Jannat Rahi, who arrived successful Montreal successful February pinch her parents and siblings, seeking protection.

“My dada — he was a businessman, and immoderate leader aliases immoderate group attacked my dada successful his business place,” she told Global News. “Also, they attacked us.”

According to nan Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC), betwixt January and June, conscionable complete 2,865 Bangledeshis claimed refuge successful Quebec alone. Last twelvemonth that number was conscionable nether 1,2090. At nan existent rate, location could beryllium much than 5,000 claims successful nan state by nan extremity of nan year.

Based connected IRCC data, Canada’s full could beryllium 5 times what it was a twelvemonth ago, astatine much than 22,000.

Bangladeshi Montrealer Abid Bahar, who has been concerned complete nan business successful nan state for years, said nan exodus of group isn’t astonishing to him.

“Because oppression is becoming much and more,” he said. “The airports are afloat of people, jammed. They’re trying to time off nan country.”

Attention has been focused connected Bangladesh successful nan past 2 weeks arsenic location person been deadly crackdowns by information forces connected mostly student protesters. Internet services were besides interrupted, sparking interest among relatives successful Montreal who weren’t capable to scope loved ones for days. The conflict was complete a authorities argumentation that reserved 30 per cent of nationalist assemblage jobs for veterans of nan independency warfare and their relatives.

That argumentation has since been rolled back.

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But experts who person been watching nan business successful nan state for years, for illustration Dolores Chew, professor of history and South Asian studies astatine Marianopolis College successful Montreal, opportunity nan circumstances are complex.

“You person a ample organization of very young group who are unemployed aliases underemployed, and are struggling to make ends meet,” she said.

She noted that though nan state was doing good economically, things took a move for nan worse pursuing nan tallness of nan COVID-19 pandemic pinch nan illness of nan garment industry, followed by nan warfare successful Ukraine, which affected substance prices, among different factors.

According to Chew, location are besides organization problems.

“People person mislaid religion successful nan process because they consciousness nan antiauthoritarian sound is not being heard,” she said.

These are each things that interest Robayth Dhrubo, an world student from Bangladesh surviving successful Montreal.

“The value of surviving complete location is very poor,” he said. “After nan COVID-19, nan ostentation went high. It’s astir to deed 10 per cent correct now.

Bangladeshis successful Montreal fearfulness if things don’t amended successful nan South Asian country, nan surge of asylum seekers will continue.