Family Found Dead In Marsh Near Quebec-New York Border Was Set to Be Deported

Last week, the Akwesasne Mohawk Police Service found eight dead bodies in a marsh near the Quebec-Ontario-New York borders. Of the eight who passed, four were part of a family who were supposed to be deported to Romania.

According to the National Post, Canada’s immigration officials ordered Florin and Cristina Iordache, as well as their two children, for deportation to Romania.

The Iordache family didn’t want to return to their native country out of fear of being persecuted due to their Roma background. Instead, the family boarded a boat in Akwesasne in an attempt to reach the United States.

Officials believe the boat capsized which led to the deaths of each member of the family including their children, both under the age of two.

The initial report noted that six bodies had been recovered, though the National Post confirmed that the number had changed to eight.

The bodies of four members of an Indian family have also been recovered. Praveenbhai Chaudhari, his mother, Dakshaben, and two children, Vidhi and Meet, were identified as the remaining deceased.

On the Akwesasne police’s official Facebook page, they confirmed they found the first body at approximately 5:00 p.m. last Thursday in a marsh in Tsi Snaihne Akwesasne, Quebec. 

They also added that they were waiting for assistance from both Quebec and Ontario provincial police departments. They sought out air support units to assist them in their investigation.

The causes of death have not yet been confirmed as police wait for post-mortem and toxicology reports.

“Police are attempting to identify the deceased persons at this time and ascertain their status in Canada,” they wrote. “There is no threat to the public at this time.”

Quebec public security minister François Bonnardel tweeted his condolences and confirmed that the Sûreté du Québec would assist in the investigation. His tweets came before the discovery of the last two bodies.

The Montreal Gazette further reported that the Akwesasne police had reported an increase in “illegal entries through [their] lands and waterways” since February.

Earlier this month, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and President Joe Biden agreed to close Roxham Road, a rural road where asylum seekers could cross the border due to a loophole in the Safe Third Country Agreement between Canada and the United States.

According to the CBC, immigration experts say closing Roxham Road would lead to “humanitarian catastrophes.”