Officers of the Canada Border Services Agency conducted a series of raids in Vancouver Wednesday in an attempt to crack down on undocumented workers. That would be noteworthy enough, but some of the workers detained were asked to sign release forms for a reality TV show focusing on Border Service agents.
Families of the workers were understandably upset and staged protests outside CBSA offices in Vancouver today. Canadian-born Angela Joseph told the Canadian Press that she only found out about her common-law partner’s arrest on Facebook.
“I think it was wrong of them to ambush them for a TV program,” she said. “They have no sympathy for families at all.”
Joseph said [her partner’s] case was on “shaky ground” and things weren’t looking good, based on limited information she received from an immigration officer.
“Honduras is a very dangerous country. We’ve had friends killed,” she said. “I worry about his safety.”
Honduras may be dangerous for the average Joe, but not for major celebrities who appeared on Border Security. That’s the TV show that rode along with immigration agents as they raided construction sites and threatened to destroy people’s families. And if the video at top is any indication, it is going to feature a lot of Tasers and stuff (because that’s never gone wrong).
From the production company’s website:
Every day, tens of thousands of people arrive at Canada’s border crossings. Most are legitimate travellers, but not all of them. From Canadian citizens with undeclared food [dun-dun-dunnn —ed.] to international drug smugglers; from confused visitors to phony immigrants; from impaired drivers to wanted felons. Border services officers see them all, and need to figure out which is which – keeping Canada safe from threats of all kinds, big and small.
So, given that thrilling description of the show, maybe it was the producers who pushed for more flashy activities like workplace raids. After all, there’s only so many strange foods you can pull out of luggage before the audience starts to crave some real action. On the other hand, the audience that likes to watch this sort of show may not be that big in Canada. One passerby who witnessed one of the raids told CBC News, “It doesn’t seem very Canadian. It’s very sensationalized. I don’t like it. It’s just very creepy.”
via:CBC News | CP video: Force Four Entertainment
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