Latest news with #AnnaMehlerPaperny
Yahoo
14-07-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Canada struggled to advise travelers on Trump trans policies, documents show
By Anna Mehler Paperny TORONTO (Reuters) -Over two months, Canadian officials scrambled to advise and reassure Canadians wanting to travel to the U.S. after President Donald Trump's executive order on gender, documents show. The order, issued January 20, states the U.S. only recognizes two sexes, requires the government use the term "sex" rather than "gender" and mandates identification documents issued by the government, including passports and visas, be based on what it described as "an individual's immutable biological classification as either male or female." In a series of emails obtained through a freedom of information request, Canadian officials debated how to respond to concerns and whether and how to update Canada's travel advisory for the United States. Canada's back-and-forth in responding suggests a tightrope walk between protecting its citizens, addressing their concerns and avoiding offending a close ally with whom it has had a strained trading relationship. A January 22 email said Canadian officials were in touch with about the executive order and its 'real or potential impact on trans Canadians' ability to enter the US.' In a January 27 email, an official with Global Affairs Canada refers to a query from a Canadian and asks, 'What is the plan to reassure Canadians & address their concerns regarding travel to the US?' Officials also discussed a new U.S. policy requiring visa applicants to list the sex assigned at birth on their applications even if it differs from the sex marker on their passports. They worried about the implications for Canadian permanent residents and for delegates travelling to the U.S. for meetings. Canada did update its U.S. travel advisory in March to note a new U.S. requirement for foreign nationals staying longer than 30 days to register with the U.S. government. Officials also wrote and approved new wording addressing the Trump administration's new policy on passports with "X" gender markers, but never added it to the travel advisory. The reasoning has been redacted, under a section of Canada's Access to Information Act exempting "advice," among other things. A spokesperson for Global Affairs Canada did not say why the travel advisory wasn't changed. Canada is monitoring the situation closely and is not aware of any Canadian denied entry to the U.S. because of the "X" gender identifier on their passport, the spokesperson said. Officials commonly prepare text to respond to possible scenarios, the spokesperson wrote in an email. "This preparation includes developing draft templates of text that can be quickly adapted to respond to a specific situation if needed, based on the most recent information."
Yahoo
08-07-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Canadian police charge 4, including active military members, in alleged extremist plot
By Anna Mehler Paperny TORONTO (Reuters) -Canadian police have charged four men, including active members of the Canadian Armed Forces, with planning to forcibly take over land in the province of Quebec. Three of the men have been charged with facilitating a terrorist activity, accused of plotting to create an "anti-government militia," the Royal Canadian Mounted Police said on Tuesday. "To achieve this, they took part in military-style training, as well as shooting, ambush, survival and navigation exercises," police said in a statement. "They also conducted a scouting operation. A variety of firearms, some prohibited, as well as high-capacity magazines and tactical equipment were allegedly used in these activities." The fourth suspect was charged with possession of firearms, prohibited devices and explosives, and possession of controlled items. Police said they seized 16 explosive devices, 83 firearms and accessories, approximately 11,000 rounds of ammunition of various calibres, nearly 130 magazines, four pairs of night vision goggles and military equipment. They did not say how many of the four were members of the Canadian military. Such militia activity has been rare but growing in Canada, which is dealing with burgeoning right-wing extremism and, since the COVID-19 pandemic, anti-government sentiment. In the U.S., militia members were among those convicted and later pardoned for their role in the January 6 2021 riots. Anti-government militia members were also charged with plotting to kidnap the governor of Michigan. Canada's Public Safety Minister Gary Anandasangaree thanked police on X for their "decisive action." "These are serious charges. They show that Canada is not immune to acts of ideologically motivated violent extremism."
Yahoo
04-06-2025
- 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!"
