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Canada sees 'unsustainable' spike in asylum seekers at U.S. border


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TORONTO/MONTREAL (Reuters) - The number of asylum seekers who illegally crossed the U.S. border into Canada more than tripled last month, according to Canadian government data released on Thursday, as migrants worried about the U.S. administration's immigration crackdown head north.

 

More than 3,100 people walked across the border illegally in July to file refugee claims and were arrested, up from 884 in June, the federal government said.

 

Ninety-six percent of them went to Quebec, where an influx of asylum seekers, primarily Haitians, is sparking a backlash from opposition politicians and anti-immigrant groups in the primarily French-speaking province.

 

In the first 15 days of August, an additional 3,800 asylum seekers were arrested crossing the U.S. border into Quebec, the Royal Canadian Mounted Police said. More than 1,000 people are living in tents and government facilities at a Lacolle, Quebec border crossing across from upstate New York.

 

"It's not a crisis. It's a situation that is extraordinary. But it's well-managed," Transport Minister Marc Garneau told reporters in Lacolle on Thursday.

 

Canada is struggling to house and provide social assistance for the influx of asylum seekers as its refugee system faces the worst delays in years.

 

The Immigration and Refugee Board (IRB), which is responsible for hearing all asylum claims, has redeployed resources to deal with the Quebec arrivals.

 

"The IRB had to make adjustments to be in a position to respond to the current situation that is clearly unsustainable," spokeswoman Anna Pape said in an email.

 

Canada has launched a campaign to counter misinformation about the country's refugee policy, which is believed to be one reason for the influx of refugees.

 

FILE PHOTO: Women claiming to be from Burundi cross the US-Canada border into Quebec from Champlain, New York, August 3, 2017.

Christinne Muschi

"Asking for asylum in Canada is not a guarantee for permanent residence in Canada, and it's extremely important we stress that," immigration ministry spokesman Louis Dumas told reporters.

 

Conservative parliamentarian Michelle Rempel, her party's immigration critic, said the government steps are a "band aid" solution.

 

"This situation started with Prime Minister [Justin] Trudeau's irresponsible tweets and he has a responsibility to fix it," Rempel said in a statement, referring to January tweets Trudeau sent touting Canada's welcome of refugees after a U.S. travel ban was unveiled.

 

FILE PHOTO: A line of asylum seekers who identified themselves as from Haiti wait to enter into Canada from Roxham Road in Champlain, New York, U.S., August 7, 2017.

Christinne Muschi

A Trudeau spokesman said the government has been consistent on the issue of refugees: "Canada welcomes immigrants ... that said, there are laws and processes in place for people seeking asylum and our government is sending a clear message."

 

Many of the most recent asylum seekers arriving in Quebec have been Haitians who face looming deportation from the United States when their temporary protected status expires in January 2018.

 

Canada ended its own ban on deportations to Haiti last summer. In the first quarter of this year, almost two-thirds of Haitian refugee claims were rejected, according to government figures.

 

The spike in asylum seekers has sparked protests by anti-migrant groups who say Canada is being soft on law-breakers.

 

The Montreal suburb of Boucherville has received dozens of messages on social media denouncing the asylum seekers, some of whom are being housed at a former seniors’ home in the quiet suburb, according to local media reports. Montreal, Quebec's biggest city, opened its Olympic Stadium to house the arrivals.

 

Sylvain Brouillette, a spokesman for right-wing extremist group La Meute, which is organizing a Quebec City protest on Sunday, said his group is protesting the "policies of the Trudeau government toward illegal immigration."

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Whenever I take a drive south across the border ( 30 minutes by car ) from Montreal ( my home town ) I see bands of Haitians

congregating in Plattsburgh, New York, awaiting their transport up to Champlain, NY to make the crossing into Quebec, Canada. 

 

The roads are open and they are guided to safe haven till Canada immigration looks at their files, all at a cost.

 

USA should cover / share the expense of those packing up and getting out of the USA;

for the same reason Trump expected Mexico to build and pay for a wall.

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Whenever I take a drive south across the border ( 30 minutes by car ) from Montreal ( my home town ) I see bands of Haitians

congregating in Plattsburgh, New York, awaiting their transport up to Champlain, NY to make the crossing into Quebec, Canada. 

 

The roads are open and they are guided to safe haven till Canada immigration looks at their files, all at a cost.

 

USA should cover / share the expense of those packing up and getting out of the USA;

for the same reason Trump expected Mexico to build and pay for a wall.

 

When they want to come to America, then America should foot the bill.

When they want to come to Canada, then America should foot the bill?

 

When Salvadorans cross Mexico to enter America, that is America's problem.

When Haitians cross America to enter Canada, that is America's fault?

 

Your Prime Minister invited them in, just as Obama invited them here a few years back.

America is a few years behind the progressive's failure in Europe.  Canada is a couple years behind us in this immigration problem. 

 

Both of us need to open our eyes and see what has happened to Europe before the progressive's ideas have ruined Western civilization. 

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Sure no problem....I'm old school I get it

 

The ways that I provided for myself really had no relationship at all with my social ideologies. I was pretty much set that way at a very young age. It's probably a fair statement that I succeeded in staying within those beliefs in spite of myself rather than as a result of any career path.

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When they want to come to America, then America should foot the bill.

When they want to come to Canada, then America should foot the bill?

 

When Salvadorans cross Mexico to enter America, that is America's problem.

When Haitians cross America to enter Canada, that is America's fault?

 

Your Prime Minister invited them in, just as Obama invited them here a few years back.

America is a few years behind the progressive's failure in Europe.  Canada is a couple years behind us in this immigration problem. 

 

Both of us need to open our eyes and see what has happened to Europe before the progressive's ideas have ruined Western civilization. 

 

They've been living in the USA for years since the USA Gov't opened the doors for them after the natural disaster(s).

These are the same people that have been hanging out in the USA. 

Now Trump feels that time has run it's course and the Haitians are running for their lives again.

 

Canada had been fooled by so many criminals that fled here from El Salvador.  

I am sure they were afraid that the USA would imprison them had they even applied under refugee status.

We have too much on our plate here.  

 

Europe is/was flooded from the East.  

Bad news there too.

 

USA should help their neighbour here.  

It's like when an airline transports someone without proper legal documentation ( or a stowaway for that matter ),

they are responsible for this person's carriage and return home.   

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