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Yahoo
2 days ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
Canadian bill seeks to deny hearings to some asylum-seekers
By Anna Mehler Paperny TORONTO (Reuters) -A Canadian border-security bill introduced by the Liberal government earlier this week may deny some asylum-seekers a refugee hearing and make it easier for the government to revoke migrants' status. The bill comes as the government seeks to address U.S. concerns about its border security and reduce the number of migrants in the country. In addition to denying some refugee hearings and allowing the suspension, cancellation or variance of immigration documents, the bill facilitates sharing people's information and makes it easier to read people's mail, among other measures. President Donald Trump has said Canada had failed to do enough to stem the flow of illicit fentanyl into the U.S., using that as justification for some of his tariffs. This week Trump doubled the tariffs in place on steel and aluminum, prompting calls for Canada to boost retaliatory measures of its own. Late last year Canada pledged C$1.3 billion to beef up its border. As Canada reduces the number of new permanent and temporary residents, its refugee system faces a historic backlog of more than 280,000 cases. This week's bill follows through on some of those border promises as well as on suggestions from some top ministers that Canada would fast-track refusals for some refugee claims. If the bill passes, asylum-seekers who have been in Canada more than one year would not be eligible for refugee hearings. Instead, they would have access to a pre-removal risk assessment, meant to determine whether they would be in danger in their country of origin. According to data published by Canada's Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Department, 30% of pre-removal risk assessments in 2019 for people deemed ineligible for refugee hearings were approved; by contrast, according to Immigration and Refugee Board data, that year 60% of finalized refugee hearings were approved. Asylum-seekers who wait two weeks to file claims after crossing from the U.S. to avoid being turned back under a bilateral agreement would also not get hearings. The bill, which needs to go through multiple readings before the House of Commons votes on it and sends it to the Senate, would also allow the government to "cancel, suspend or vary" immigration documents if deemed in the public interest. Migrant and refugee advocates worry the changes could leave vulnerable people deported to dangerous situations in their home countries without adequate due process. A spokesperson for Canada's Immigration Minister Lena Metlege Diab said on Wednesday that the government recognizes the conditions in people's home countries may change, but the pre-removal risk assessment will prevent them from being returned to persecution or torture. "The asylum ineligibilities introduced yesterday seek to maintain protection for those fleeing danger while discouraging misuse that bypasses the asylum system's function – which is to protect the vulnerable," the spokesperson wrote in an email. "Canada is reneging on its basic human rights obligations to do individual arbitration," said Migrant Rights Network spokesperson Syed Hussan. "This is teeing up a deportation machine."
Yahoo
21-03-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
US government blocks Canadian access to border-straddling library, Canadian town says
By Anna Mehler Paperny TORONTO (Reuters) - A Quebec town is calling out what it says is a unilateral decision by U.S. authorities to close Canadian access to a library that straddles the Canada-U.S. border. The Haskell Free Library and Opera House straddles the Canada-U.S. border between the towns of Stanstead, Quebec, and Derby Line, Vermont. It has become a symbol of cross-border unity and cooperation as well as an opportunity for separated families to unite. The library's entrance is on the Vermont side. Previously, Canadian visitors were able to enter using the sidewalk and entrance on the American side but were "encouraged," according to the library's website, to bring documentation. "This closure not only compromises Canadian visitors' access to a historic symbol of cooperation and harmony between the two countries but also weakens the spirit of cross-border collaboration that defines this iconic location,' the town of Stanstead said in a press release Thursday. U.S. Customs and Border Protection did not immediately respond to queries posed Friday. Relations between the United States and Canada, long-time allies, have deteriorated to historic lows since U.S. President Donald Trump has threatened to annex Canada as the 51st state and imposed tariffs. U.S. Senator Peter Welch, a Democrat from Vermont, called reports of the closure troubling. "Vermont loves Canada. This shared cultural institution celebrates a partnership between our two nations," Welch said on X.
Yahoo
15-03-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Angry Canadians get their 'elbows up' in face of Trump threats
By Anna Mehler Paperny TORONTO (Reuters) - Canadians are upset. At first it was the threat, and then the reality, of tariffs. Now, U.S. President Donald Trump's talk of Canada's forced annexation – no longer laughed off as a joke - has really angered a population better known for its politeness. Canadians are rallying for their country and seeing a resurgence in nationalism, as Canada-U.S. relations top the list of issues preoccupying residents, according to recent polls. "Elbows up," a hockey term conveying readiness to fight, is the new rallying cry – emblazoned on clothing, headlining rallies and the title of a new podcast that dedicated its first episode to the practicalities of creating a civil defence corps. It remains unclear how long Trump's tariffs will be in place or what is behind his aspirations for Canada to become the 51st U.S. state. But 11 peeved Canadians Reuters spoke with said they believed irrevocable damage had been done. Canadians are boycotting U.S. goods and cancelling U.S. travel plans. Provinces are taking American alcohol off store shelves. The sense of betrayal runs deep. "It's a mix of concern, frustration, anger. Our longstanding friend and ally has turned against us and we don't really know what to do," said Peter Wall, an Elbows Up rally organizer. Wall and a handful of other organizers put together a rally on Parliament Hill in Canada's capital Ottawa in a matter of days. The event, which featured speakers, a band and a coat check for hockey sticks to facilitate a game afterward, attracted more than 1,000 people on March 9. More events are planned in Toronto and elsewhere in coming weeks. Signs at the Ottawa rally criticized Trump as an imperialist, saying "Elbows up" or "True north strong and peeved," a play on lyrics from Canada's national anthem. There was no shortage of Canadian flags. Journalist Jordan Heath-Rawlings, who channelled his frustration into a new podcast called Elbows Up, compares the state of Canada's relationship with the U.S. to the shock of a divorce. "All the things in your life you maybe took for granted are, all of a sudden, gone. You have to redefine yourself as a person and I think that's where we're at as a country," he said. "I think a lot of Canadians feel really hurt. I think a lot of Canadians are really angry. I've been feeling that way myself, for sure." Comedian and actor Shaun Majumder, who recently moved back to Canada with his family after years living in Los Angeles and who performed at the "Elbows Up" rally, thinks Canadians will look back at this time in 50 years and see it as an inflection point. "Was that a shift in our maturity where we finally found our identity? And it's not beavers, it's not mounties, it's not politeness - there's something underneath it all," he said. In a parting speech on Sunday, before new Prime Minister Mark Carney was sworn in on Friday, former Prime Minister Justin Trudeau also used the term. "We're a country that will be diplomatic when we can but fight when we must. Elbows up!"
Yahoo
26-02-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Canada deports more people, predominantly those rejected for refugee status
By Anna Mehler Paperny TORONTO (Reuters) - Canada deported more people last year to hit its highest annual level of removals in about a decade, overwhelmingly deporting people whose refugee claims were rejected, data obtained by Reuters showed. By late November, Canada's removal numbers had reached their highest point since at least 2015, when the governing Liberals led by Prime Minister Justin Trudeau came to power. The government has also budgeted more money for deportations this year. See for yourself — The Yodel is the go-to source for daily news, entertainment and feel-good stories. By signing up, you agree to our Terms and Privacy Policy. Trudeau's government, now in its final days, has sought to show Canadians it is getting tough on immigration amid a rising backlog of refugee claims and a backlash against immigrants over concerns that immigration is exacerbating a housing shortage. Canada's border agency said the spike in deportations is tied to a "significant increase" in the number of people applying for asylum since 2020, prompting it "to enforce removal orders in a more efficient and timely manner." Reuters requested border agency data on deportations, excluding people who left of their own accord and those sent back to the United States as part of a bilateral agreement under which would-be asylum-seekers are turned back. The remaining total shows Canada deported 7,300 people between January 1 and November 19, 2024, an 8.4% increase over all of 2023 and a 95% increase over 2022. The border agency did not provide equivalent figures for all of 2024. This week, it posted data online from 2019 to 2024 that do not break down deportations excluding returns to the U.S. under that bilateral agreement. This data also showed an increase in the number of deportations. About 79% of the 7,300 people deported in the first 11 months of last year were deported because their claim for refugee status had been rejected. That's up from about 75% in 2023 and 66% in 2022. About 11% of the people deported last year through November 19 were removed for non-compliance with the conditions of their stay in Canada unrelated to a refugee claim, for example for overstaying a visa. About 7% were deported because they had committed a crime either in Canada or elsewhere. A spokesperson for Public Safety Minister David McGuinty did not immediately respond to questions about the deportations. A spokesperson for the border agency said in an email that removal numbers fluctuate. 'The number of removals of those who received a negative asylum determination have increased each year since emerging from the pandemic,' wrote the spokesperson, Luke Reimer. 'These efforts are essential in maintaining the integrity of Canada's asylum system.' Canada has been dealing with record numbers of refugee claims, although the monthly totals dropped to 11,838 in January from 19,821 in July. There were 278,457 claims pending as of last month - the highest pending total in decades. MORE MONEY FOR DEPORTATIONS One concern with these removals, especially those targeting failed refugee claimants, is that people can be deported while still appealing decisions about the risk they face if returned to their home countries, said Aisling Bondy, president of the Canadian Association of Refugee Lawyers. "They could be removed even if there is significant error in the risk determination," she said, worrying people are being deported to places they will face persecution. The border agency did not respond to a question this week on the issue. The rise in refugee claimant deportations speaks to the government's priorities, including a tough stance on migration, said University of Toronto law professor and Human Rights Chair Audrey Macklin. "You can decide that you want to make a show of how many people you are deporting to show that you are effective at policing the border," Macklin said. "Then you go with people who are easier to find and remove, and those are going to be, often, refugee claimants." The prospect of deportation could also deter would-be refugee claimants, she said. Canada is on track to deport even more people in the coming years: Late last year the government pledged C$30.5 million ($21.31 million) over three years to increase deportations. Canada Border Services Agency spent C$65.8 million ($45.97 million) on removals in 2023-24, up from C$56 million ($39.17 million) the year before. At the same time, Canada has pledged C$1.3 billion toward border security to appease U.S. President Donald Trump as he threatens sweeping tariffs on Canadian imports. The ranks of those eligible for deportation could grow. Canada is slashing temporary and permanent immigrant numbers and part of its plan relies on more than 1.2 million temporary residents, including workers and students, leaving the country next year, and another 1.1 million leaving the following year, according to government figures. Immigration Minister Marc Miller has said Canada will deport people who do not leave on their own. "It is people's choice not to leave and if they don't, they face the consequences – including, after due process, deportation,' he told Reuters last year. ($1 = 1.4310 Canadian dollars)
Yahoo
19-02-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Canada refugee claims drop as country issues fewer visas
By Anna Mehler Paperny TORONTO (Reuters) - Refugee claims in Canada are dropping from historic highs as the country grants fewer visas and advocates worry legitimate claimants are being left stranded with few good options. About 11,840 people filed refugee claims in Canada in January, down from a high of 19,821 in July, Immigration and Refugee Board data shows. This was the lowest monthly figure since September 2023. See for yourself — The Yodel is the go-to source for daily news, entertainment and feel-good stories. By signing up, you agree to our Terms and Privacy Policy. Canada is publicly discouraging asylum-seekers and clamping down on the visas it issues, aiming to gradually reduce the population and reduce strain on services amid a broader backlash against migrants. Last year Canada issued about 1.5 million visitor visas, down from about 1.8 million in 2023, according to government data. The decline was particularly sharp for certain countries that have been significant sources of asylum-seekers, Reuters analysis shows. The number of visitor visas granted to Bangladeshi citizens dropped to 27,975 from 45,322; Haitians dropped to 5,487 from 8,984; Nigerians, to 51,828 from 79,378. Visitor visas to some countries with high refugee acceptance rates have declined from 2023. Last year Canada granted visitor visas to 330 Afghans, down from 468; 38,075 Iranians, down from 57,127; 2,019 Ugandans, from 6,096; 1,174 Syrians, from 2,716; and 3,199 Kenyans, from 11,464. The number of pending claims is still at a historic high - 278,457 in January, according to the Immigration and Refugee Board. Canada has no asylum-seeker visas. Anyone who wants to claim refugee status must come as a visitor, student or worker - or sneak into the country, no easy feat for a place surrounded by water and an agreement with the United States to turn back asylum-seekers. Displaced people can also wait in refugee camps, potentially for years, in hopes they will be selected for resettlement. Canada is using heightened scrutiny of visa applications from countries with the "highest rates of abuse" with the aim of ensuring visas are used for their intended purpose, Renee LeBlanc Proctor, a spokesperson for Immigration Minister Marc Miller, wrote in an email. "This work additionally protects the asylum process ... so that it is available for those who need it most." At a time of global displacement, advocates argue, Canada's clampdown leaves desperate people with no good options. "It's very problematic," said Diana Gallego, co-executive director at Toronto-based FCJ Refugee Centre, which provides services to asylum-seekers. "If people are fleeing persecution the only way that some of them may find safe haven is having an exit visa because, if not, they are forced to cross borders walking, putting their lives in danger." Gallego said the centre is seeing fewer people, although she does not know if they are being sent elsewhere. "It's like invisible walls."
