U.S. travel ban angers, confuses Calgarians
U.S. President Donald Trump’s latest executive order sparked fears that some Canadians with dual citizenship would be blocked from entering the U.S.
The order prevents citizens of Iran, Iraq, Sudan, Somalia, Syria, Yemen and Libya from entering the U.S. for 90 days.
While the U.S. State Department initially said the travel ban included Canadians with dual citizenship with passports from any of the seven countries, an e-mail from Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s office late Saturday said the U.S. has given assurances that Canadians with dual citizenship will not be turned away at the border.
Seham Talab is a Syrian refugee who has been living in Calgary for the past year with her husband, two daughters and two sons. Talab said her brother-in-law is a refugee in the U.S., and she is concerned for his safety because of the antiIslamic sentiments south of the border.
“Of course I fear for Muslims from Trump,” Talab said. “(My brother-in-law) is in America three months and he is good, but now after Trump I don’t know.”
Calgary-based immigration lawyer Raj Sharma said the widereaching executive order lacks detail and will have unintended consequences for Canadians from the banned countries.
“This is kind of like throwing a pebble into a pond,” Sharma said. “This will affect a lot of permanent residents that are in Canada that are from Somalia, that are from Iran, for example. There’s going to be a lot of communities that will be affected by this.
“If the ban only extended to visitors and was temporary ... in the grand scheme of things doesn’t really change a whole lot. But with the extension to green card holders who are already in the U.S., you are taking away rights that they already have. That’s the big problem.”
Saima Jamal with the Syrian Refugee Support Group Calgary said the ban is already affecting refugees and citizens in Calgary, and will continue to have an effect on citizens with family in the U.S.
“This is blatant Islamaphobia,” Jamal said. “This is like the worst kind of racism I’ve ever seen, and I cannot believe people are just sitting here and openly accepting this.”
A number of Canadian politicians voiced their concerns with the ban, including Saskatchewan Premier Brad Wall and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, who took to Twitter on Saturday to offer their support to Muslims.
“To those fleeing persecution, terror & war, Canadians will welcome you, regardless of your faith. Diversity is our strength,” Trudeau said, ending the tweet with the hashtag “WelcomeToCanada.”
Premier Rachel Notley echoed Trudeau’s comments, saying support of refugees and those in need is part of the Canadian identity.
“I’m not going to comment directly on the decisions of another country, but what I will say is our government has been very happy to work with the federal government to welcome refugees who are in danger,” Notley said.
In reaction to the ban, WestJet and Air Canada said they are waiving cancellation fees for people who hold passports from the affected countries, but a representative from Air Canada declined to say how the company is dealing with dual citizens.