American Citizen Flees To Canada For Asylum Because He Is Black

An American citizen, 30-year-old Kyle Canty, has applied for asylum in Canada after claiming he fears the police in the U.S will kill him just because he's black.

Kyle went for a vacation in Vancouver in September and after staying for a few weeks, decided he was safer there as a black man than the U.S and decided to stay.

According to CBC, during an Immigration and Refugee Board (IRB) hearing on October 23, Kyle said 'I'm in fear of my life in the U.S because I'm black... This is a well-rounded fear'. Kyle, who is representing himself at the IRB hearing, then cited the police shooting of Michael Brown in Missouri and the death of Eric Garner in New York City at the hands of cops as examples of US police exterminating black people 'at an alarming rate'.

Kyle said he was arrested for trespass in Salem, Oregon, after he spent two hours talking on the phone and using free Wi-Fi at a bus stop. He said he was harassed or targeted by police because of his race.I got bothered because I'm black,' he said. 'This is a history of false arrest. My name is ruined because of the false arrest.'

Kyle is currently is living in a homeless shelter in Vancouver. The board, though commended him for representing a strong case, are yet to determine if he will get the asylum