The Stream

Is Canada as welcoming to refugees as people think?

Thousands of Haitians cross US border, but not all will be allowed to stay.

So far in August, an unprecedented 4,000 people have crossed into Canada on foot from the United States, mainly from a secluded crossing in upstate New York that winds its way into Quebec. About 85 per cent are Haitian, according to Royal Canadian Mounted Police.
 
Haitian immigrants living in the US fear that when the visas they were given after the 2010 earthquake expire in 2018, they will be deported back to Haiti by the anti-immigration administration of President Donald Trump. Many of them now also have children and families in the US.
 
Hundreds of asylum seekers also fill Montreal’s Olympic stadium as their future hangs in the balance. Canada’s army has set up tents to house them at the border while wait to have their cases heard. The influx has put a strain on public resources and has led to a debate over how best to deal with the crisis.  
 
The government, and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau in particular, have also faced criticism that they have been sending a misleadingly positive message to would-be immigrants. The reality is that 50 per cent of Haitians that apply for asylum are rejected. The government said it is aware of false information being spread on social media about what services the Canadian government will pay for once a refugee crosses into Canada.
 
“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 as that criticism grew. Other Canadian government officials have also been working to counter the message that Canada has an open-door policy for refugees. Haitian-Canadian MP Emmanuel Dubourg  was even dispatched to Miami to help spread that message to the Haitian diaspora.
 
So what’s the reality for refugees and asylum seekers arriving in Canada? Join the conversation.

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Joining The Stream:

Mark Holland @markhollandlib
Member of Parliament
mholland.liberal.ca

Frantz Andre @frantzandre22
Activist 
Comité daction des personnes sans statut

Jacqueline Charles @Jacquiecharles
Journalist, Miami Herald
miamiherald.com

Candice Malcolm @CandiceMalcolm
Author, Losing True North
truenorthinitiative.com

What do you think? Leave your thoughts in the comments below.