Refugee system not based on money
OTTAWA — Would-be Canadians need more than just a desire for a better economic future if they expect to be granted refugee status in this country, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said Thursday.
Trudeau, speaking at an event in Charlottetown, pointed to the case of 6,300 Haitians who have crossed illegally into Canada from the U.S. in recent months to request asylum. Of the 298 cases that had been heard by the end of October, only 29 were granted protection.
“Refugee status means that you have nowhere to go, you can not be protected by your home state,” the prime minister said. “It’s not just a question of, ‘I’m looking for an economic future, so I want to come to Canada.’”
The Immigration and Refugee Board is working its way through more than 14,000 cases lodged by people who’ve crossed illegally into Canada from the U.S. since February. So far, they’ve heard 1,572 and the overall acceptance rate is about 60 per cent. Haitians make up the majority of claims.
But though that country has its economic challenges, it’s far from a failed state, Trudeau noted.
“There are people in different parts of the world who need help more, who have a more urgent need,” he said. “We must ensure that our immigration system remains intact.”
The analysis of who has crossed the border illegally this year — along with the results of their IRB hearings — is on the agenda at a meeting scheduled for later Thursday in Ottawa between federal and provincial officials overseeing irregular migration at the border.
The task force was established at the height of a surge in asylum seekers this summer coming into Quebec from New York.
The numbers have since dropped — 5,712 people were apprehended by the RCMP between official border points in August, while in October it was just 1,890.
Trudeau spoke out about the Haitians coming to Canada in response to a question in French from a man who identified himself as a Sudanese refugee. He wanted to know why Canada wasn’t doing more to assist those fleeing famine or conflict around the world.
The prime minister called himself the “steward and a custodian of something precious” — public support for immigration — and said the government is always working to find a balance between helping those who need it and having a system in place to ensure those who do stay in Canada are able to thrive.
“We can’t simply open the door to the entire world without a rigorous process to ensure security and also ensure that children and their families succeed.”