'I want to die,' 2-year-old refugee said during hours-long walk to Manitoba from U.S.

A two-year-old member of a large group of refugees who walked into Manitoba from Minnesota on Saturday told his mom he wanted to die instead of finish the walk, a refugee from the group says.

Abdoul-Aziz Abdi Hoche, 21, was part of the group who made the two-hour journey on foot along a frozen river from 2 a.m. to 4 a.m., as temperatures dropped below –20C.

The walk through the snow was difficult for everybody, Hoche said, but it was especially hard for a toddler making the trip with his mother.

"He say he cannot protect in the snow," Hoche said Wednesday. "He say, 'Mom, I want to die, you can go in the Canada. I want to die in the snow, you can go, mom, in the Canada.'"

    22 refugees entered Manitoba near Emerson border over the weekend
    Hundreds of asylum seekers entering Manitoba near Emerson border

Hoche, along with the boy and his mother, were among 22 people who crossed from the United States into Canada near Emerson, Man., over the weekend, seeking asylum.

Hoche himself came from Djibouti. He said he fled in September 2016, fearing for his life because of his political beliefs. His father was imprisoned and died in jail, he said, and his family never found out how he died.

Like the other members of his group, Hoche made his way to Minneapolis after arriving in the U.S. There, they were told Manitoba is welcoming to refugees, and they decided to make their way into the province on foot.

Asylum seekers from Djibouti arrive in Winnipeg 2:28

Minneapolis 'a hub'

Winnipeg immigration and refugee lawyer Bashir Khan says a surge of refugees arriving in Manitoba on foot began in late November.

Khan said many African refugees make their way to Minneapolis after arriving in the U.S. to seek support, as the city has a large Somalian community.

"Minneapolis has got 200,000 Somali Americans," he said. "It is a mecca, a hub for the African Muslim community."

He said many of them are told Manitoba is a good option when they're there.
Bashir Khan Winnipeg

Bashir Khan, a Winnipeg immigration lawyer, said many newcomers have walked across Manitoba's southern border because of the easy access and reliable expectation they will receive a fair refugee claim hearing. (Austin Grabish / CBC)

"Out of desperation, they end up here because here they know, you won't be detained in Canada, you will get a legal aid lawyer — such as myself and others in Canada, in this country — and you will get a chance to have your case put forward, and you will be able to make calls to get evidence you may need to support your claim," he said.
Illegal entry?

Canada Border Services Agency's most recent numbers show 403 asylum seekers illegally crossed into Manitoba between April 2016 and the end of January 2017, many of them entering near the small border town of Emerson.

However, there's an ongoing debate over whether what these people are doing is actually "illegal" at all.

Canada has a pact with the U.S. called the Safe Third Country Agreement that means prospective claimants must file for refugee status in the first "safe" country they land in. Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) is supposed to turn away anyone with undocumented status who tries to enter the country from the U.S.