Canada Continues To Welcome Refugees
As U.S. immigration order has been effective 3 days ago, it caused condemnation, confusions, and stranded affected people. In contrary, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau of Canada welcomed refugees by announcing to Twitter that their country has open-door policy.
According to New York Times, Mr. Trudeau wrote on Twitter on Saturday afternoon that diversity is their strength, thus, those fleeing persecution, terror and war, Canada welcomes them.
As known, Canada is a country not divided by sea beside United States and so is the closest available refuge for refugees with land area similar in size with U.S. but lesser populated. Syria as one of the countries which nationals are included in ban to enter U.S. saw alternative hope when Mr. Trudeau posted another in Twitter and shared 224,000 times his photo with a child, seems a Syrian refugee who had just arrived with the caption #WelcomeToCanada.
Since Mr. Trudeau's taking of office in 2015 his administration has admitted 39,671 refugees as reported by Huffington Post. This was proven positive result with his priority to accelerate the entry from Syria.
But as said, U.S. immigration order caused confusion as if those who already living in U.S. and having pertinent documents is included in the ban. Does Canada have any intention to harbor nationalities that were shut out from U.S.?
The Prime Minister's press secretary Cameron Ahmad refused to give comments if the Twitter posts mean welcoming also those who are shut out in the U.S. Because if that so, it would create confusion if they would first be accommodated than those in the long line of expectants who already told that they will be allowed to enter Canada.
Canada's policy is at odds with Mr. Trump's executive order but still Mr. Trudeau is careful not to criticize Mr. Trump. His government believes that doing so would not give positive consequences. The recent social media announcement was not meant to oppose but only to promote its open-door policy.
It was noted that Canada has two cabinets with Muslim country origin, one of which is Ahmed Hussen, the immigration minister, who was born in Somalia. Canada immediately did not allow people with citizenship from the seven countries banned to enter in the U.S. to board in major Canadian Airlines. But on Saturday one passenger was turned away on board from one of its carriers.
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