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Canada Says It’s No Safe Haven for Immigrants Losing U.S. Protection |
28 Sep 2017 09:24 #351618
by The Captain
Canada Says It’s No Safe Haven for Immigrants Losing U.S. Protection
Canada has an urgent message for immigrants in the U.S. fearing deportation: Don’t count on us for refuge. Those losing protected status in the U.S., officials warn, shouldn’t expect to be able to stay in Canada.
By
Sara Schaefer Muñoz in Toronto and
Alicia A. Caldwell in Los Angeles
Canada has an urgent message for immigrants in the U.S. fearing deportation: Don’t count on us for refuge.
Earlier this month in Los Angeles, a top lawmaker with Canada’s governing party met with members of the local Hispanic immigrant community to stress that people who fear losing their protected status in the U.S. shouldn’t expect automatic reception in Canada—and could be deported to their country of origin if they make the trip north.
“It’s really important before making any decisions that they understand [Canadian] laws,†Pablo Rodriguez, a Liberal member of parliament from Quebec, told the group.
That message marks a shift for Canada, which has emphasized its friendliness toward immigrants as the Trump administration has moved to tighten U.S. borders. When the U.S. launched its ban on travelers from some Muslim-majority countries in January, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau posted a message on his Twitter account: “To those fleeing persecution, terror & war, Canadians will welcome you, regardless of your faith. Diversity is our strength.â€
Since mid-July, however, Canada has faced an unprecedented influx from the U.S. of some 7,000 asylum seekers, in large part Haitians who feared deportation once their U.S. temporary protection expires. Many of them were among the estimated 58,000 in the U.S. under a humanitarian program that allowed them to stay as the Caribbean island rebuilt after a devastating earthquake in 2010. The Trump administration has signaled it won’t renew the protections once a six-month extension runs out in January.
Now Ottawa is rushing to clarify its own rules: namely, that those who arrive in Canada can be deported back to their country of origin, not just returned to the U.S. Furthermore, if they have been denied asylum in the U.S., they are unlikely to receive it in Canada.
“We remain unwavering in our commitment to offer protection for those determined to flee war, persecution or terror,†Ahmed Hussen, Canada’s Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship, said in an interview earlier this month. “But there is a lot of false information in those communities. Not having or losing status in the U.S. is not grounds for an asylum claim.â€
Because of a treaty between Canada and the U.S., asylum seekers need to make their claims in whichever country they arrive first. There is an exception if they enter Canada illegally, which is why thousands made their way over back roads and through wooded areas along the New York-Quebec border in the summer. Canadian officials had to convert Montreal’s stadium to a shelter to handle the influx, which put immigration and police resources under stress and set off clashes between pro and anti-immigration demonstrators.
To discourage such crossings, especially as the Trump administration now may end the so-called Dreamers program that shields undocumented immigrants who entered the U.S. as children from deportation, Canadian officials are reaching out in the U.S. They are also posting messages on Canadian immigration websites, such as, “Claiming Asylum: No Automatic Stay in Canada.â€
Canada has an urgent message for immigrants in the U.S. fearing deportation: Don’t count on us for refuge. Those losing protected status in the U.S., officials warn, shouldn’t expect to be able to stay in Canada.
By
Sara Schaefer Muñoz in Toronto and
Alicia A. Caldwell in Los Angeles
Canada has an urgent message for immigrants in the U.S. fearing deportation: Don’t count on us for refuge.
Earlier this month in Los Angeles, a top lawmaker with Canada’s governing party met with members of the local Hispanic immigrant community to stress that people who fear losing their protected status in the U.S. shouldn’t expect automatic reception in Canada—and could be deported to their country of origin if they make the trip north.
“It’s really important before making any decisions that they understand [Canadian] laws,†Pablo Rodriguez, a Liberal member of parliament from Quebec, told the group.
That message marks a shift for Canada, which has emphasized its friendliness toward immigrants as the Trump administration has moved to tighten U.S. borders. When the U.S. launched its ban on travelers from some Muslim-majority countries in January, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau posted a message on his Twitter account: “To those fleeing persecution, terror & war, Canadians will welcome you, regardless of your faith. Diversity is our strength.â€
Since mid-July, however, Canada has faced an unprecedented influx from the U.S. of some 7,000 asylum seekers, in large part Haitians who feared deportation once their U.S. temporary protection expires. Many of them were among the estimated 58,000 in the U.S. under a humanitarian program that allowed them to stay as the Caribbean island rebuilt after a devastating earthquake in 2010. The Trump administration has signaled it won’t renew the protections once a six-month extension runs out in January.
Now Ottawa is rushing to clarify its own rules: namely, that those who arrive in Canada can be deported back to their country of origin, not just returned to the U.S. Furthermore, if they have been denied asylum in the U.S., they are unlikely to receive it in Canada.
“We remain unwavering in our commitment to offer protection for those determined to flee war, persecution or terror,†Ahmed Hussen, Canada’s Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship, said in an interview earlier this month. “But there is a lot of false information in those communities. Not having or losing status in the U.S. is not grounds for an asylum claim.â€
Because of a treaty between Canada and the U.S., asylum seekers need to make their claims in whichever country they arrive first. There is an exception if they enter Canada illegally, which is why thousands made their way over back roads and through wooded areas along the New York-Quebec border in the summer. Canadian officials had to convert Montreal’s stadium to a shelter to handle the influx, which put immigration and police resources under stress and set off clashes between pro and anti-immigration demonstrators.
To discourage such crossings, especially as the Trump administration now may end the so-called Dreamers program that shields undocumented immigrants who entered the U.S. as children from deportation, Canadian officials are reaching out in the U.S. They are also posting messages on Canadian immigration websites, such as, “Claiming Asylum: No Automatic Stay in Canada.â€
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