Pakistanis fleeing the United States into Canada at the border at Niagara Falls are finding refuge at Viva Locasa, a church within U.S. territory, a 15 minute-drive from the Canadian border. Most of the refugees are in terrible need since they left everything behind in their panicked flight.

At the church, the refugees log their names in a book and are assigned beds on the premises. They are also provided a meal in the evenings. The six-person staff are dedicated full-time to look after the refugees, whose number swell everyday. A non-governmental organization has been helping the church with expenses.

Pakistanis have been coming to the church because they fear crossing the border right away, as they may be sent to a detention center. Others come because they are given an appointment with a Canadian judge a week or ten days after they appeared at the border seeking refugee status.

The church houses only those with families but helps everybody get their papers in order for the border crossing. The church’s staff helps Pakistanis without families with paperwork and then directs them to nearby inexpensive motels. Every evening, the church posts a list of those people in residence, along with the dates when they must appear at the border for an interview with Canadian authorities to obtain refugee status.