in the case, Canada. I have seen a "refugee" claimant standing on the American side of the yellow line at a border crossing, and a lawyer already present to get him to have his shout of "refugee" recognized to cross that painted border line.
Yeah, that still doesn't mean "Anyone can declare himself a "refugee" receive immediate benefits, including a free lawyer". It means you say a specific situation and we don't know any details behind it. How do we know this? Amazingly, Canada also has a webpage that details how they accept and recognize someone as a refugee. Amazingly, I know, "standing on the American side of the border and shouting 'refugee' so a free lawyer can hear it" isn't one of those ways.