Trudeau government not worried about potential flood of US asylum seekers

OTTAWA, ON. (NEWS 1130) – The Trudeau government doesn’t seem too worried about the possibility that we could see more and more asylum seekers illegally entering Canada through the US.

We’re not at any record levels, but in the early months of 2017 there has been an increase in numbers when compared to statistics from the last few years.

With a new immigration executive order expected soon from US President Donald Trump, and the weather warming up, there are fears the recent stream of asylum seekers could turn into more of a flood.

However, Parliamentary Secretary to Public Safety Mark Holland feels the situation is manageable. “We’re going to keep a very close eye on it. But, for the time being, it’s working effectively and we don’t see cause for alarm.”

While asylum seekers have said they are coming here due to the Trump administration, the federal government hasn’t acknowledged that as a cause, saying it is studying the claims made by these refugees.

Holland adds Ottawa is considering requests from provinces and border towns for extra resources to deal with the influx, but gave no firm commitments.

The RCMP, the Canada Border Services Agency and public safety officials are said to be analyzing the influx, explains Public Safety Minister Ralph Goodale, who said most of the asylum seekers intended to eventually end up in Canada, rather than the US.

Under the Safe Third Country Agreement between Canada and the US, refugee claimants in one country can’t make the same claim on the other side of the border, but that only applies when they make claims at official border crossings.

If asylum seekers reach Canadian territory, they are entitled to go through a claims process after being arrested because Canada is a signatory of the UN Refugee Convention. If their claim is rejected, they could be returned to their country of citizenship.

Turkish couple arrested in Surrey

Over the weekend Surrey RCMP confirmed two Turkish citizens had been turned over to Canadian immigration staffers after being arrested in the area of Zero Avenue. Investigators said the pair were cooperating, however due to a language barrier, couldn’t say if the couple was seeking refugee status in Canada.

At least two other people have been picked up in Surrey under similar circumstances over the past month.

“If we’re seeing this now when it’s this cold, I can only imagine when June and July comes along, so the government really has to put a plan in place,” says South Surrey-White Rock MP and former Surrey Mayor Dianne Watts.

She’s concerned about community safety as more and more people come in without proper processing or paperwork, but that concern goes both ways. “When you’re taking children and walking across – especially with the weather in Manitoba and Quebec — it is very unsafe,” she adds.

Watts and other members of the Conservative caucus are calling on the Trudeau government to develop a response plan.