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| Prime Minister Justin Trudeau. Photo courtesy PMO. |
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau once tweeted: “Diversity is our strength.” He won much praise in some circles for that message and derision in other circles.
That commitment to diversity is about to be put to the test.
Tucked away in the massive 392 page omnibus budget bill, tabled on Monday, is a new provision that – if passed – would prevent asylum seekers from making refugee claims in Canada if they have made similar claims in other countries.
Border Security Minister Bill Blair says the measure aims to prevent “asylum-shopping.”
Legal experts and non-government organizations are disappointed the Liberals included this proposal in the budget bill and in taking this approach with asylum seekers.
“The budget bill is no place for substantive changes to the law, especially if, as here, they undermine the basic rights of some of the most vulnerable people in Canadian society,” said Claire Roque from the Canadian Council for Refugees (CCR). “We are shocked that the government is proposing to deny some refugee claimants their voice: the ability to share their story and have a fair hearing.”
The CCR is worried that refugee claimants may be at increased risk of being sent back to their homeland and in some cases, face persecution.
More than 40,000 asylum seekers have entered Canada from the U.S. since 2017 by not going through an official point of entry.