Smugglers advertise illegal Canada-US border crossings on TikTok

“We do it every day. It takes an hour to get to the destination. From there you have to walk 40 minutes through the jungle.”

“Is it safe?”

“Yes brother. It’s not the first time.”

Radio-Canada recently had a conversation over WhatsApp with a person connected to one of the dozens of TikTok accounts we identified. These accounts were advertising an illegal service: helping Indian temporary residents of Canada cross the border into the US outside of official border crossings.

The person offering a “40-minute trek through the jungle” did not give his real name to Radio-Canada, but claimed he lived in Brampton, Ontario.

These accounts promise safe passage to the US from Montreal, Brampton or Surrey, BC. One of the accounts has over 360,000 followers on TikTok and appears to be targeting Indian students living in Canada.

The number of irregular entries into the U.S. from Canada has exploded in recent months. Such irregular crossings are prohibited by Canadian and U.S. law. People who want to cross the border must do so through official entry points.

Some of the videos posted by these TikTok accounts feature testimonials in Punjabi from supposedly satisfied customers.

“Brother, we came from Canada to the US. And we just arrived. We got through through Brother Harry. His (service) is excellent. We got through very easily,” says a man, his face covered with a Canadian flag, in one of the testimony videos.

In another video, a client claims he entered New York state from Montreal on August 8.

“Brother Harry let us cross and we reached (our destination) absolutely safely. The road was safe. After about 25 minutes of walking, we reached our destination comfortably. We paid all the money later,” she said.

Using a fake profile, Radio-Canada contacted “Harry,” one of dozens of accounts we identified. We asked him how he could help us cross from Montreal to the United States. Harry asked for $5,000, assuring Radio-Canada that the amount would be paid after the crossing.

Another account reached out to Radio-Canada sent screenshots of conversations with happy customers and provided more details about how the border crossing would work.

The account holder told Radio-Canada that an Uber driver would pick us up in Montreal at night and then drop us off at the border in southern Quebec. We would cross on foot. He said he would not be there personally.

“I will call you. You send me your location and I will guide you,” he promised.

He said he charges $1,500 per person. He even offered a group discount.

“I can do $2,500 for two people if you are interested,” he wrote. He asked us several times when we would be ready to cross.

Radio Canada was able to call this smuggler. We spoke to him in Punjabi, his native language.

He said his name was Rahul and that we should carry water, wear long sleeves and bring an extra pair of shoes.

“It’s a jungle, brother. There will be some thorns and bushes,” he said.

Rahul said he wanted to be paid upfront via bank transfer. He also told Radio-Canada that he would accept cash in person, either in Brampton or in India.

He told Radio Canada that after we crossed the border, we should go to the Border Patrol office on the American side.

“After the paperwork, in about an hour, you will be released. And then you can go anywhere,” he promised.

Radio Canada was be able to witness the performance of this procedure this spring in the Mooers Forks area of ​​New York State. As Rahul said, Indian migrants were intercepted by U.S. police before being released and boarded a bus bound for New York City.

US authorities condemn the practice. In a statement, US Customs and Border Protection points the finger at “transnational criminal organizations” that “claim the borders are open and offer the northern border as a way to enter the US.”

“Human smugglers and malicious actors continue to spread lies and show complete disregard for the safety and well-being of vulnerable migrants,” said Steven Bansbach, spokesman for U.S. Customs and Border Protection.

“(The U.S. Department of Homeland Security) is removing Indian nationals without legal basis to remain, including via charter flights.”

WATCH | On the Frontlines of the Canada-US Border

Increasing human flood of illegal border crossings into the US

Roxham Road in Quebec and its surroundings have been a source of controversy, with thousands of people using it to enter Canada illegally from the U.S. Now that migrant traffic is going the other way, CBC’s Jorge Barrera got a first-hand look at how the RCMP is dealing with human smuggling.

In recent months, U.S. interceptions of illegal migrants in the Swanton sector of southern Quebec, which borders New York and Vermont, have increased dramatically.

Since January, a record 13,000 people have been arrested after secretly crossing the border from southern Quebec into the U.S. — nearly 9,000 between May and July alone. That’s a 526 percent increase since 2022.

The vast majority of those intercepted are from India or Bangladesh and are in Canada on a student or tourist visa.

Radio Canada was able to find online ads promising Indian nationals access to fraudulent Canadian visas for tens of thousands of dollars. One post in a private Facebook group even promised a package deal: visa, airfare to Canada and cross-border services to the US, all for $130,000.

There is a thriving market for such services because Canada is a faster, easier and safer option for Indians to reach the United States, said political scientist Shinder Purewal of Kwantlen Polytechnic University in British Columbia.

“(Getting) a Canadian visa is very easy,” he said. “The American visa is very difficult.”

“Basically all the gangs in Punjab are now operating out of Canada. And it is safer.”

To attract new customers, these gangs promote social media posts claiming that thousands of Indian residents in Canada are facing deportation. This disinformation targets students and temporary workers who are concerned about the recent new federal guidelines for temporary immigration.

“The large number (of Indian residents) who remain here without prospects of permanent residency in Canada choose to leave for the US, a country with a huge economy,” Purewal said.

“If Indians want to migrate, the number one country is the US. Canada used to be number one, but that has gone down. Quebec has a reputation in India that if you reach Montreal, you are very easily relocated to the US.

“If you go to the US-Mexico border, it’s dangerous. They’re actually well-armed people on both sides. But in Canada, it’s miles and miles of open border.”