New U.S. travel ban is ‘cruel,' Myanmar community association says
TORONTO — The head of an association for the Myanmar community in Ontario says a new travel ban announced by U.S. President Donald Trump is 'cruel' to the people of his country.
Napas Thein, president of the Burma Canadian Association of Ontario, says the people of Myanmar are already facing difficulties in their own country with a military coup and new law mandating military service, and the ban will make it harder to move to a safer place.
He says members of his community in Canada will not be allowed into the United States to study or visit due to the new ban, which takes effect Monday.
Thein says he and others from the Myanmar diaspora who are Canadian citizens feel uneasy about crossing the border and some have already started cancelling plans to attend conferences or visit their families in the United States.
Trump announced Wednesday that citizens of 12 countries — Myanmar, Afghanistan, Chad, the Republic of Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Haiti, Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan and Yemen — would be banned from visiting the United States.
Seven more countries — Burundi, Cuba, Laos, Sierra Leone, Togo, Turkmenistan and Venezuela — face heightened travel restrictions.
Some of the 12 countries on the banned list were targeted by a similar measure Trump enacted in his first term.
Dawit Demoz, vice-president of the Eritrean Canadian Community Centre in Toronto, says his organization is 'deeply concerned' about the implications of the new travel ban for the Eritrean diaspora.
He says many families in the Eritrean community south of the border remain separated due to the ongoing political and humanitarian crisis in their home country, and the new ban further complicates their efforts to reunite.
'(The ban) creates additional fear and uncertainty for those seeking safety and connection across borders,' he said.
'For our community, policies like this do not just impact travel but they deepen isolation, delay reunification and compound the emotional toll experienced by displaced individuals.'
--- With files from The Associated Press.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published June 6, 2025.
Maan Alhmidi, The Canadian Press
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
CTV News
an hour ago
- CTV News
‘The CAQ is much more than just me,' says Legault
Quebec Premier François Legault speaks at a press conference marking the end of the spring session at his office in Quebec City on Friday, June 6, 2025. Legault is flanked by Quebec Deputy Premier and Minister of Transport Geneviève Guilbault, left, and Quebec Government House Leader and Minister of Justice Simon Jolin-Barrette. (The Canadian Press/Jacques Boissinot)
Globe and Mail
2 hours ago
- Globe and Mail
Alberta resumes buying U.S. alcohol and gambling machines, months after pause meant to fight tariffs
Alberta is buying American alcohol and gambling machines again, three months after Premier Danielle Smith announced restrictions aimed at fighting back against U.S. tariffs. Service Alberta Minister Dale Nally says the move signals a 'renewed commitment to open and fair trade' with the United States. Smith said in March that the province would no longer buy U.S. alcohol and video lottery terminals, or sign contracts with American companies. That came a day after U.S. President Donald Trump slapped heavy tariffs on Canadian goods and energy. Nally says the decision to resume buying U.S. alcohol and gambling machines 'sets the stage for more constructive negotiations' ahead of a renewal of the Canada-U.S.-Mexico trade agreement. Ontario, Manitoba reach internal trade agreement, promise alcohol sales deal by end of June The minister says Albertans are encouraged to continue supporting local producers, even as more U.S. options return to store shelves. Nally said in April that the province was pausing its policy around procurement from U.S. companies 'in the spirit of diplomacy.' He said since the province's retaliatory measures were first announced in early March, the Trump administration had put a hold on further tariffs.
CTV News
3 hours ago
- CTV News
Laval and police brotherhood sign ‘bold' new collective agreement
The City of Laval and the Police Brotherhood signed a new collective agreement for the Laval Police Service on Friday—a deal Mayor Stéphane Boyer described as 'fairly bold, fairly innovative compared to other police forces.' The agreement, in principle, was ratified by 78 per cent of the police brotherhood's members. It includes the transfer of certain administrative duties to civilian staff, freeing up 20,000 additional investigative hours for police officers—at a lower cost to the city. The new contract also introduces the deployment of cadets across Laval to manage traffic, representing another salary-saving measure for the municipality. In terms of compensation, the agreement includes salary increases totalling 22.2 per cent over five years. This figure combines base wage hikes with 'urban security premiums' tied to the unique challenges officers face in large urban centres. The city also aimed to boost police presence on the streets to strengthen residents' sense of safety. In an interview, Mayor Boyer said he was particularly proud of the deal. 'What we were looking for was greater efficiency and more officers on the streets. This agreement allows us to achieve that. And in my view, it's quite a bold and innovative deal compared to other police forces—recovering thousands of hours of investigation and street presence. We're really pleased with the outcome, and I think it's going to be a win-win, both for the officers and for the public,' said Boyer. Sylvain Tardif, president of the Laval Police Brotherhood, also welcomed the new agreement, saying it 'recognizes the dedication and professionalism officers bring to their work every day in keeping Laval residents safe.' 'The new contract offers working conditions that reflect the growing responsibilities of our officers, who work in a complex environment and are facing an evolving and increasingly sophisticated criminal landscape,' Tardif added. Pierre Brochet, director of the Laval Police Service, also noted that the new agreement will allow police to 'fight crime more effectively, while ensuring a stronger presence in the community.' The collective agreement will be in effect from Jan. 1, 2024, to Dec. 31, 2028. This report by The Canadian Press was first published in French on June 6, 2025. By Lia Lévesque, The Canadian Press
