'Think of what made those people' cross border, says Winnipegger originally from Chad after 7 arrested

The sounds of a drum and the national anthem of Chad echoed through the sanctuary at Knox United Church Thursday — a tune familiar to Raymond Ngarboui, for whom the north-central African country was once home.

He came to Canada by way of Cameroon at the end of 2005 as part of a federal government-sponsored refugee program, but he's aware not everyone has that kind of opportunity.

At the end of January, seven men from Chad were allegedly smuggled across the U.S. border and into Manitoba, RCMP said Tuesday. Four other men, also from Chad, crossed into Emerson in December.  

"The country has been in civil wars for over 40 years, over four decades," said Ngarboui, who now works as the project co-coordinator for the Community Education Development Association and also volunteers at Knox United.

"Everybody who had been in power and who has been in power there … they were soldiers, generals, colonels, all these people," he said. 

"And the populations don't have any right — there is no rule of law, there is no democracy, there is no freedom of speech, freedom of anything. Nothing."

Chad is one of the largest countries in Africa, but Ngarboui said many people there lack basics like clean water, education and proper medical care. Anybody who has the opportunity to leave the country will take it, he said.

Ngarboui said some people die during their attempts to reach Europe or North America.

But he said some people feel they're better off leaving — even if it means a long and dangerous journey — than to stay in Chad and die in front of their families.  

"It makes me feel shocked … feel very bad, but mostly frustrated," said Ngarboui. 

Winnipeg-based immigration lawyer Alastair Clarke, who has worked with hundreds of Chadians, says the situation there is dire.

Since the death of then president Idriss Deby in 2021, there's been political unrest, leading to the government targeting political opponents, student groups and "anyone who is perceived to be against the government," said Clarke.

"I will tell you that from my experience dealing with hundreds of claimants from Chad, that I'm not surprised that these individuals are coming to Canada to find safety."

Canada, with its large francophone community, is appealing for many people leaving Chad, where French is an official language, he said.