More information is being learned about the Ghanaian woman who officials believe died trying to cross the border into Canada.
Friends of Mavis Otuteye, 57, told CTV News that she was a religious woman and had been living in Delaware. Her friends say she did not tell them about any plans to move north, but it is believed she may have been planning to move to Toronto to live with her daughter.
Officials say her body was found in a drainage ditch in Noyes, Minn., the closest American community to Emerson, Man.
“It’s most likely that she was attempting to get to Canada. Evidently, she didn’t make it,” Matt Vig, deputy sheriff with the Kittson County Sheriff’s Office, told CTV News.
If Otuteye was indeed an asylum seeker, her death would be the first fatality connected to the recent wave of illegal border crossings.
At least 625 people have walked into Manitoba through unmarked fields and woods since January, prompting heated debate within border communities over what should be done about the crossings and sparking political response from the provincial and federal governments.
“It’s sad, because someone was so unhappy with the way they were living and they want to escape, and then they die in the process,” said Emily Ohmann, an American who lives in the area where Otuteye’s body was found.
Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Ahmed Hussen spoke of Otuteye’s death in the House of Commons on Wednesday.
“Our condolences go out to the family and friends of the woman who lost her life,” Hussen said.
Manitoba Premier Brian Pallister also weighed in on the tragedy, accusing the federal government of failing to put enough pressure on U.S. President Donald Trump to change his contentious stance on immigration.
“I have said repeatedly that lives are being put at risk. I have said repeatedly that we need to reach out and partner with our nation to the south and work to prevent a continuation of this activity,” Pallister said.
There are concerns that other bodies could be found in the border region, according to a member of the Ghanaian Union of Manitoba.
“It’s likely bodies may be found somewhere in the bushes somewhere. People are taking undue risks just to get to safe haven,” said Frank Indome.
Quebec has also seen a surge in the crossings. In March, 664 people were intercepted by RCMP while trying to cross into Quebec. In Manitoba, 170 people were picked up in March, and B.C. reported 71 interceptions.
Many have made the crossing in hopes of accessing a loophole in the Safe Third Country Agreement, a deal between the U.S. and Canada. The deal stipulates that refugees must claim asylum in the first country they enter.
By crossing illegally, asylum seekers may be aiming to access rules that allow them a hearing in Canada if they are considered refugees.
Minister of Public Safety Ralph Goodale has said that the illegal crossings aren’t a “free ticket” into Canada and that those entering Canada still face due process, including health checks and security clearance, after they arrive.
With files from CTV’s Manitoba Bureau Chief Jill Macyshon
