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While President Donald Trump has been taking action to limit the flow of refugees into American until a new vetting process can be put in place, Canada has been welcoming refugees with open arms — up to a point.
In the wake of Trump’s immigration executive order, many refugees have fled for Canada from the United States in the hopes that they could settle there instead, The New York Times reported.
The only problem with this plan is that Canada has a cap on how many refugees it will admit to the country, so if too many more start flooding into Canada, they could very well be rejected.
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Under the “Safe Third Country Agreement” between the United States and Canada, refugees who apply for asylum first in one country cannot then apply for asylum in the other. That means refugees crossing from the United States into Canada cannot simply apply for asylum at a border crossing point, according to The Daily Caller.
However, a loophole in the agreement allows migrants who cross illegally into Canada can apply for asylum if they are apprehended in the country’s interior.
Even those who make the illegal crossing are not guaranteed a permanent place. For example, in 2015 Canada’s Immigration and Refugee Board only allowed about 58 percent of the about 16,500 refugees who claimed asylum after crossing illegally to stay.
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The Montreal Gazette noted that Canada’s liberals are calling for the Safe Third Country Agreement to be suspended, given the increase in refugees who are risking extreme weather to enter Canada illegally.
While no definitive numbers are provided, The Toronto Star reported that overall there has been a significant spike in asylum seekers this year.
Trump is expected to release a new executive order on his immigration ban this week — one which will undoubtedly clear up much of the confusion surrounding his original order.
While Canadian liberals may not approve of what Trump is doing, their government isn’t stupid enough to try to pick a fight with the new administration over a couple hundred refugees.
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Instead of fleeing to a country that might well expel them, the refugees should wait a little bit until the United States has a new system in place.
We will always welcome refugees, but we must ensure our own citizens’ safety first.
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