Latest news with #refugees
Arab News
8 hours ago
- Politics
- Arab News
Pacific nation ponders taking asylum seekers from US
Whipps' office told AFP on Wednesday the proposal was still under consideration by the nation's powerful Council of Chiefs'A meeting was held last week. So far no decision has come out of that meeting,' a spokesman saidSYDNEY: The United States is looking to send asylum seekers to the sparsely populated volcanic isles of Palau, the small South Pacific nation said about 800 kilometers (500 miles) east of the Philippines, tropical Palau has long been one of the United States' closest allies in the President Surangel Whipps Jr last week received a request from Washington to accept 'third-country nationals seeking asylum in the United States,' his office said in a office told AFP on Wednesday the proposal was still under consideration by the nation's powerful Council of Chiefs, an advisory body of traditional leaders.'A meeting was held last week. So far no decision has come out of that meeting,' a spokesman President Donald Trump campaigned on a promise to expel millions of undocumented migrants, saying the country had been 'inundated' by unwanted signed an executive order in January — titled 'Protecting the American People Against Invasion' — that suspended admissions for countless refugees seeking haven in the United details of the proposed deal between Palau and the United States were not immediately clear, such as how many asylum seekers it would cover, or what Palau may get in return.'Based on the most recent draft agreement, Palau would have full discretion to decide whether or not to accept any individuals, and all actions would be consistent with our constitution and laws,' the Palau president's office said in a Ambassador Joel Ehrendreich was present at a meeting of senior officials to discuss the request, according to photos published last week by the Palau president's United States has reportedly considered dispatching asylum seekers to the likes of El Salvador, Libya and some 20,000 people spread across hundreds of volcanic isles and coral atolls, Palau is by population one of the smallest countries in the Pacific microstate could find it difficult to deny Washington's gained independence in 1994 but allows the US military to use its territory under a longstanding 'Compact of Free Association' return, the United States gives Palau hundreds of millions of dollars in budgetary support and assumes responsibility for its national United States Embassy in Palau did not respond to an AFP request for coming to power in 2021, Whipps has overseen the expansion of US military interests in has included the ongoing construction of a long-range US radar outpost, a crucial early warning system as China ramps up military manuevers in the Taiwan is one of the few remaining countries to recognize Taiwan's claim to statehood.
National Post
13 hours ago
- Politics
- National Post
Most Canadians still think Canada is accepting too many immigrants, and many don't trust newcomers: poll
Article content 'That polarization is not based on whether you are yourself an immigrant or you are a minority, it's not. It's transcending that,' said Jedwab. 'So the trust issue is a critical factor. It's just not defined by, as I said, your status as an immigrant or non-immigrant or as a minority. Those groups of people are making observations to the same extent across those markers of identity.' Article content Refugees are more likely to be trusted by non-immigrants (38 per cent) than immigrants (33 per cent). White people are also more likely to trust refugees (37 per cent) than non-white people (33 per cent). They are most likely to not be trusted by non-white people (28 per cent) compared to 22 per cent of white people, 22 per cent of immigrants and 23 per cent of non-immigrants. Immigrants, however, are more likely to be trusted by other immigrants and non-white people (both at 53 per cent) than by non-immigrants and white people (40 per cent for each). Article content 'The actual trust issues seem to be really one that transcends those categories. It's not polarized in the way some people envision it to be polarized. It's a lot more complex than that,' said Jedwab. Article content 'We're seeing the degree of trust expressed in refugees as especially low. And particularly amongst those people who think there are too many immigrants, the trust of refugees is low, lower than it is normally.' Article content The view that there are too many immigrants entering Canada has been constantly held by at least half of Canadians since February 2024, when 50 per cent of those polled expressed that view. Even then, that was an unusually high figure. In March 2019, just 35 per cent of those polled said there were too many immigrants coming to Canada. Article content 'Whether you're born in Canada or not born in Canada, or whether you're a minority or not, this issue around trust, and the perceptions around the global instability, is affecting our perspectives around migration.' said Jedwab. Article content Across all age groups, the majority of people feel that there are too many immigrants coming into the country, but young people are less likely to feel that way. More than half (55 per cent) of those aged 18 to 34 think there are too many immigrants, compared to 65 per cent of 35 to 54 year olds and 63 per cent of those aged 55 and older. Article content In Atlantic Canada, 71 per cent of respondents agreed that there were too many newcomers. In Quebec and Ontario, 63 per cent agreed, while in Alberta 65 per cent said they feel that way. Fifty-four per cent of respondents in Manitoba and Saskatchewan agreed. In British Columbia, 52 per cent of respondents said there are too many immigrants. Article content 'It is important that we properly understand what the factors are underlying the reticence about immigration. So that's where the importance … is in trying to establish what the concerns are, how significant those concerns are, where those concerns are coming from. And then, on that basis, to determine how best to address them rather than dismissing them,' said Jedwab. Article content The online survey of 1,580 Canadian adults was conducted by Leger for the Association for Canadian Studies between June 20 and 22. A margin of error cannot be associated with a non-probability sample in a panel survey for comparison purposes. A probability sample of 1,580 respondents would have a margin of error of plus or minus 2.5 per cent, 19 times out of 20. Article content
CBC
15 hours ago
- Politics
- CBC
$68M project to secure, revamp Canada's asylum system shut down unexpectedly, documents show
Social Sharing A $68-million project led by Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) that was meant to revamp Canada's outdated asylum system and enhance the integrity of the country's borders was quietly shut down last year — an "unexpected" move for some in the government because it was only partly completed, internal documents show. Now, some critics fear the outcomes that were achieved may be more harmful than beneficial for people seeking protection in Canada. IRCC's "asylum interoperability project" began in 2019 and was supposed to wrap up by 2022. It came during a surge of asylum seekers entering Canada, putting pressure on an already struggling system that relied heavily on paper files. Its launch followed calls for major reform. The main goals of the project was "to transform the asylum system" into a digital one, automate data and create real-time information sharing between three departments — IRCC, Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) and the Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada (IRB). If these tools are so effective and being implemented, then why do we still have this backlog? - Wei Will Tao, immigration and refugee lawyer It also hoped to "enhance integrity, security and deterrence within the asylum system," while improving efficiency and service to claimants, documents show. It allocated about $48.4 million to IRCC, $15.5 million to CBSA and $3.8 million to the IRB over several years to meet these goals, an internal document shows. IRCC said it had used 75 per cent of its allocated funds. Through access to information documents, CBC News has learned the project was abandoned in February 2024 after it failed to get another extension from the Department of Finance. But just months after prematurely halting this project, then Immigration minister Marc Miller told the House of Commons immigration committee: "I want to reform the system. It's not working in the way it should." At the time, he said Canada's asylum and refugee system was still struggling due to volume and inefficiency. According to records obtained by CBC, about 64 per cent of the interoperability project was accomplished. IRCC either scrapped or "deferred" the rest of the tasks to future major IT projects. "The decision to close the project was unexpected," reads a 2024 CBSA briefing note. The latest IRB data shows a backlog of 288,198 pending applications as of last month — a historic high that's nearly tripled since June 2023, when the interoperability project was well underway. "The first question is, if these tools are so effective and being implemented, then why do we still have this backlog?" said Wei Will Tao, an immigration and refugee lawyer. Automation, online portal among goals achieved All three departments operate their own IT systems, "causing program integrity risks" and delays, a project document reads. While incrementally rolling out improvements until its shutdown in 2024, the project faced "capacity issues," "black-out periods" in IRCC's internal application processing tool Global Case Management System (GCMS), and a "downgrade" in priorities which led to delays past its 2022 finish date, records say. The project still managed to build an online refugee application process, and automated case creation, data entry and admissibility checks, according to documents. For IRB hearings, the project also allowed more real-time information exchange between departments. The process to detain and remove people from Canada was also "enhanced," according to a CBSA briefing note, citing the ability to automatically cancel valid work or study permits when a removal order is issued, among other improvements. But there were several wish list items the project couldn't make happen — like a CBSA officer portal and online applications for pre-removal risk assessments (an application for people facing removal from Canada.) Another task that was skipped — a function to "view notes associated with a claim in one place," which would have helped officers' workflow, CBSA records show. In a closing note, one government official noted that "the project did deliver on every benefit identified but not all to the depth it aimed to." IRCC declined an interview. The department didn't specify which tasks it was unable to complete, but said in an email those may be part of future projects. IRCC has hundreds of millions of dollars allocated to digital modernization in the coming years. Impacts felt, but questions remain "The actual project itself and the fact that there's huge funding … that came to us as a bit of a surprise," said Tao, who's part of a collective of experts monitoring AI and technological advances in Canada's immigration system. Tao said he didn't "want to deny the positivity" of some digital advancements. But he raised questions around transparency, the kind of information being exchanged between the three departments and how it's being used by each partner — especially because the IRB is an arms-length, independent tribunal. These so-called streamline mechanisms are actually making life harder for people. - Syed Hussan, Migrant Rights Network "What if there's information that's being transmitted behind the scenes that we're not a party to, or that could implicate our clients' case without us knowing?" asked Tao, founder of Heron Law Offices in Burnaby, B.C. Despite multiple followups, the IRB did not respond to CBC's requests for information. IRCC wrote to CBC that the IRB maintains its adjudicative independence. "We do have serious concerns about this interoperability — being yes, an efficiency tool and a way for things to be streamlined — … [but] is our ability to contest these systems being altered, or even perhaps barriered, by these tools?" Tao asked. "Digitization is not the answer," said Syed Hussan, spokesperson for the Migrant Rights Network. "These so-called streamline mechanisms are actually making life harder for people." Hussan said the digital-focused application system has "caused immense havoc" for some people with technological barriers. He also questions the "enormous focus" on sharing private information between agencies and the oversight of that. "What is framed as a technical step forward is actually a series of policies that make it harder for refugees to gain protection," said Hussan. "It's part of a broader turn rightward towards Trump-like policies in the immigration system." Hussan said what the system actually needs is more resources for settlement organizations and claimants who need protection. "Instead there's actually just mass firing of federal civil servants as well as underfunding of settlement agencies and money being put into these digitization projects — which largely seem to be about streamlining removals rather than ensuring rights," Hussan said. Canada enforced more removal orders in the past year than in any other 12-month period since 2019 — 18,048 in the 2024-25 fiscal year, according to CBSA data. NDP MP and immigration critic Jenny Kwan said she was also in the dark about this project. "The quiet abandonment of the initiative is very troubling and speaks to a further failure of the system," said Kwan in an email to CBC. She is demanding answers from the Liberal government. IRCC said in an email that the decision to close out the project early was unrelated to workforce adjustments or restructuring. "While [this project] delivered important advancements, Canada continues to face significant migration pressures," wrote IRCC, pointing to the Strong Borders Act (Bill C-2). The department said the reforms in that legislation will build on "the foundation laid" by the asylum interoperability project, and "further modernize and protect the integrity of the system." CBSA said in a statement it's "committed" to work with IRCC to incorporate more improvements in future projects. The Department of Finance declined to comment.
Al Arabiya
19 hours ago
- Politics
- Al Arabiya
EU pact could stop ‘hostile' states from using migrants for politics: Rights agency
The EU migration pact could help member states prevent 'hostile actors' from using migrants and refugees to put pressure on them, the bloc's rights agency said on Wednesday. Some countries outside the European Union have repeatedly funneled migrants and refugees to the bloc's external borders to put pressure on the EU, the European Union Agency for Fundamental Rights (FRA) said in a paper on the topic. The EU migration pact is due to come into force in mid-2026 and would allow countries to return rejected asylum applicants more quickly, the FRA said. 'The effective and speedy implementation of return procedures in full respect of applicable safeguards may discourage the instrumentalization of migrants and refugees,' the FRA paper noted. It said that EU countries could impose sanctions on 'hostile' states or restrict the visas of people from those countries as part of a raft of measures to discourage the practice. Poland, for instance, has accused Belarus and Russia of flying in or bussing people from Afghanistan, Iraq, Ethiopia and other nations to their borders with the EU member state before trying to direct them across. Rights groups have subsequently accused Warsaw of unlawfully, and sometimes violently, forcing people back across its borders. In 2023 and 2024, almost 60 people died along the EU land border with Belarus, many from hypothermia while stranded there, according to the FRA. The new pact will allow EU members to prioritize the processing of asylum claims by those subject to this sort of instrumentalization, deploying additional staff to help, the FRA added. 'Instead of punishing migrants and refugees who are being used and abused for political gains, EU countries need to direct their measures towards the hostile actors,' FRA director Sirpa Rautio said. 'Some of the current responses to instrumentalization may undermine the protection of fundamental rights at the EU's borders, including the right to asylum,' she added. In its paper, the FRA said that 'certain rights, such as the prohibition of torture or sending people back to where their lives and freedom are at risk, are absolute'. 'They cannot be limited under any circumstances,' the group said.
France 24
19 hours ago
- Politics
- France 24
Pacific nation ponders taking asylum seekers from US
Scattered about 800 kilometres (500 miles) east of the Philippines, tropical Palau has long been one of the United States' closest allies in the Pacific. Palau President Surangel Whipps Jr last week received a request from Washington to accept "third-country nationals seeking asylum in the United States", his office said in a statement. Whipps' office told AFP on Wednesday the proposal was still under consideration by the nation's powerful Council of Chiefs, an advisory body of traditional leaders. "A meeting was held last week. So far no decision has come out of that meeting," a spokesman said. US President Donald Trump campaigned on a promise to expel millions of undocumented migrants, saying the country had been "inundated" by unwanted arrivals. He signed an executive order in January -- titled "Protecting the American People Against Invasion" -- that suspended admissions for countless refugees seeking haven in the United States. Key details of the proposed deal between Palau and the United States were not immediately clear, such as how many asylum seekers it would cover, or what Palau may get in return. "Based on the most recent draft agreement, Palau would have full discretion to decide whether or not to accept any individuals, and all actions would be consistent with our constitution and laws," the Palau president's office said in a statement. US Ambassador Joel Ehrendreich was present at a meeting of senior officials to discuss the request, according to photos published last week by the Palau president's office. The United States has reportedly considered dispatching asylum seekers to the likes of El Salvador, Libya and Rwanda. With some 20,000 people spread across hundreds of volcanic isles and coral atolls, Palau is by population one of the smallest countries in the world. A tricky ask The Pacific microstate could find it difficult to deny Washington's request. Palau gained independence in 1994 but allows the US military to use its territory under a longstanding "Compact of Free Association" agreement. In return, the United States gives Palau hundreds of millions of dollars in budgetary support and assumes responsibility for its national defence. The United States Embassy in Palau did not respond to an AFP request for comment. Since coming to power in 2021, Whipps has overseen the expansion of US military interests in Palau. This has included the ongoing construction of a long-range US radar outpost, a crucial early warning system as China ramps up military manuevers in the Taiwan Strait. © 2025 AFP
