Trickle of Illegal Immigrants into Canada Could Become Deluge in the Spring

T

tay

Hall of Fame Member
May 20, 2012
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Montreal's Olympic Stadium used to house surge in asylum seekers from U.S.

A temporary welcome centre has been opened at the Olympic Stadium in Montreal to house a surge of asylum seekers coming from the United States to Quebec.

"We've never seen this before," said Francine Dupuis, spokesperson for PRAIDA, the provincial government organization that helps claimants in their first months.

"It's really quite a bit more intense than what we're used to."

On Wednesday, asylum seekers were taken to the Olympic Stadium by bus. Among them were children and pregnant women.

A spokesperson for Olympic Park said the request to use the stadium came on Friday.

"We were quick to say, 'OK, how much space do we need?'" Cédric Essminimy said. "And in 24 hours, everything was set."

Though official numbers have not been released by the federal government, Dupuis estimates 1,174 asylum seekers crossed into Quebec in July. In comparison, PRAIDA helped 180 people in July 2016.

Olympic Stadium is one of Montreal's most well-known landmarks. It was built in the early 1970s as a venue for the 1976 Summer Olympics. Known locally as the Big O, it was home to the Montreal Expos until the team left the city in 2004.

In May, U.S. President Donald Trump threatened to withdraw the protective status of Haitians who took refuge in the country following the 2010 earthquake.

Up to 58,000 people could face deportation back to Haiti in January 2018.

Dupuis said Montreal's large Haitian community is a reason why many Haitians are crossing the border into Quebec.

"Obviously, there is a stronger attraction to coming to Quebec for Haitians than in other provinces," she said.

"They have the help of their community to get settled."

A spokesperson for the Maison d'Haiti, a hub for the Haitian community in Montreal, said they've been hearing from families living in the U.S. hoping to come to Canada.

"They are afraid of what is going to happen to them," said Marjorie Villefranche, director general of the Maison d'Haiti.
In the last three weeks especially, a larger number of Haitians have been crossing the border asking for refugee statusm she said. Villefranche said the Maison d'Haiti helps asylum seekers fill out paperwork to be able to stay in Canada.

She said word of how to cross into Canada has spread quickly on Haitian social networks, encouraging more people to come to Quebec.

However, it's unclear if they'll be able to stay. Asylum seekers originally from Haiti who have crossed the Canada-U.S. border could be deported back to Haiti if their application is refused because Canadian authorities deem Haiti as a sufficiently safe country.

Montreal's Olympic Stadium used to house surge in asylum seekers from U.S. - Montreal - CBC News
 
J

justlooking

Council Member
May 19, 2017
1,312
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B00Mer said:
I have better things to do than waste my time on a Canada Hater..

I'm just hoping you're not living off the Government too.. biting the hand that feeds you.
Click to expand...

In other words, you got nothing.

Why don't you run down now, to the Big O and go wash some feet or something ?
 
J

justlooking

Council Member
May 19, 2017
1,312
3
36
B00Mer said:
As I said, you don't like Canada so much.. leave.. otherwise fukk off..
Click to expand...

What drugs do you take ?

Is fentanyl really that good ?

All I did was make the comparison that both soprting stadiums, instead of holding events,
are being used by taxpayer dollars to house completely illegal lawbreaking economic migrants
who shouldn't be there.

And you get all butthurt, pulling stuff out of your colostomy bag to try and throw at me.

Well have, fun, but you won't be getting your way.

Too bad for you, crybaby.
 
T

tay

Hall of Fame Member
May 20, 2012
11,548
1
36
Well of course. This latest flood of refugees was started by Lawyers..................


Many of the thousands of Haitian nationals streaming across Canada's border from the U.S. may be basing their decision to flee on misleading and false information posted to WhatsApp, Facebook groups and other social media.

Encouraged by those ambiguous or deceptive posts, many of the 50,000 to 60,000 Haitians living with temporary protected status (TPS) in the U.S. could be interpreting Canada's welcoming attitude towards immigrants as a clarion call.

In May, President Donald Trump threatened to withdraw the protected status of Haitians who took refuge in the country following the 2010 earthquake.

With the TPS set to expire in January 2018, Haitian nationals now fear being sent back to Haiti.

In the wake of Trump's announcement, one New York immigration lawyer, Macx L. Jean-Louis, organized a presentation for the Haitian community at a church in New Jersey in June, inviting Toronto lawyer Veronica Wilson to explain how the Canadian immigration system works.

She said she explained the point system to them, saying skilled workers had a leg up and that many might be able to qualify as immigrants because they could speak French.

She said there was no discussion of crossing into Canada outside ports of entry at the meeting.

"The church was packed," Wilson told CBC News. "People were standing in the aisles, and everyone had their phones video recording us, and at the end there was a lineup of questions."

Wilson has been helping Haitian nationals make applications to come to Canada. She says when they enter the border unofficially, "it's out of fear," and that it's possible they don't realize "there may be legal avenues for them."

Other questionable social media messages have originated with the Haitian Diaspora Organization in Miami, a group with 11,000 Facebook followers and as many as 5,000 WhatsApp members in its network.

Its executive director, Jude Metellus, said he launched a social media campaign to encourage Haitian nationals with no other option to try crossing the Canadian border outside of the established checkpoints.

He said he started the campaign after he read Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's response to Trump's move to ban immigration from Muslim countries.
"Canadians have been very clear that we see immigration as a net positive," Trudeau said.

Right now, Canada is a haven," Metellus told CBC News. "That's what we've been portraying to them."

He said he tells those willing to make the trip that the fastest and "best" way into Canada "is to literally drive up to the border and just say that they are requesting asylum."

Metellus said his organization hasn't guaranteed Haitians they'll be granted asylum once they're in Canada.
It's a risk most are willing to take, he said.

"When a Haitian who escaped Haiti because of poverty — I mean literally because they are eating dirt — and they've had a chance to come into the United States, to go into Canada is a desperate move," said Metellus.

"The message they're getting [on social media] is that Canada is ready to lay down the red carpet, as if we were Syrian, and that they would be welcomed," said Jean-Ernest Pierre, the director of Montreal's Haitian community radio station CPAM.

http://www.cbc.ca/beta/news/canada/montreal/misleading-information-haitian-asylum-seekers-1.4235565
 
B00Mer

B00Mer

Make Canada Great Again
Sep 6, 2008
47,127
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Rent Free in Your Head
www.canadianforums.ca
JamesBondo said:
I have a hard time believing in a deluge to Winnipeg.
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As long as they are all going to Quebec and they stay there... who cares.
 
J

JamesBondo

House Member
Mar 3, 2012
4,158
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I see no reason to bypass due process. make them face the Canadian bureaucracy and laws that they feel are so great.
 
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