MONTREAL�Canada is no automatic safe haven for those seeking quick entry into the country or fleeing the threat of imminent deportation from the United States, says Prime Minister Justin Trudeau.
After a meeting of federal and provincial ministers charged with managing the recent influx of asylum seekers in Montreal, Trudeau told reporters that security and immigration officials are getting a handle on the thousands of refugee claimants � most of them Haitian � who have streamed into the country from the United States since July.
And then he added one big condition to a now-famous Jan. 28, 2017,
tweet that his critics have blamed for the fact that so many new arrivals believe Canada will be their future home.
"You will not be at an advantage if you choose to enter Canada irregularly. You must follow the rules and there are many,� Trudeau said.
The prime minister�s Twitter posting, shortly after U.S. President Donald Trump took office, was in response to a proposed travel ban in the United States on people from predominately Muslim countries.
�To those fleeing persecution, terror & war, Canadians will welcome you, regardless of your faith. Diversity is our strength,� the tweet reads.
But the tweet has since received a more liberal interpretation among asylum seekers and others who feel suddenly fearful living in Trump�s United States.
More than 7,000 people have crossed from the U.S. into Canada at a breach in the border in Quebec this year, though a wave that began in July appears to have slowed in recent days, Public Safety Minister Ralph Goodale said this week.
Speaking in Ottawa Wednesday, Conservative MP Michelle Rempel said Trudeau�s approach has also filled those people with �false hope� that if they can somehow get to Canada, they will be accepted with open arms.
�Our system now is in shambles, and I think a lot of this has to do with the messaging � the inconsistent messaging � that has been coming out of Justin Trudeau's personal communication shop,� she said.
MONTREAL�Canada is no automatic safe haven for those seeking quick entry into the country or fleeing the threat of imminent deportation from the United States, says Prime Minister Justin Trudeau.After a meeting of federal and provincial ministers charged with managing the recent influx of asylum seekers in Montreal, Trudeau told reporters that security and immigration officials are getting a handle on the thousands of refugee claimants � most of them Haitian � who have streamed into the country from the United States since July.And then he added one big condition to a now-famous Jan. 28, 2017, tweet that his critics have blamed for the fact that so many new arrivals believe Canada will be their future home."You will not be at an advantage if you choose to enter Canada irregularly. You must follow the rules and there are many,� Trudeau said.
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