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Trudeau cautions border jumpers from entering Canada

The prime minister is warning thousands of Haitian refugees who have streamed into Quebec: “You will not be at an advantage.”

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau amplified warnings to would-be migrants looking to cross the Vermont-Quebec border by foot, mixing his message of diversity and inclusion with a stern warning that they will not be able to jump the immigration queue.

“I want to reiterate what I’ve said before: Canada is an open and welcoming society because Canadians have confidence in our immigration system and have confidence that we are a country based on laws,” Trudeau told reporters at a press conference in Montreal. “You will not be at an advantage if you choose to enter Canada irregularly. You must follow the rules, and there are many.”

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According to the Canada Border Service Agency, as many as 1,200 asylum seekers who are looking to move to Canada are waiting to be processed at the Saint-Bernard-de-Lacolle border crossing between Quebec and Vermont. Many of the recent border crossers are Haitians, who had been granted special refugee protection under former President Barack Obama in the wake of the devastating earthquake of 2010. But Donald Trump announced earlier this year those protections would expire, and that deportations could start in January. It’s that decision — along with misinformation spreading online about how easy it is to gain residency in Canada — that many say is to blame for this recent influx north.

Haitian-Canadian MP Emmanuel Dubourg is travelling to Miami today to speak to the Haitian community representative and encourage asylum seekers not to enter the country illegally.

The prime minister added that more staff in Montreal’s processing centre allows for claims to be more rapidly processed and will potentially lead to temporary work permits in the future, but for now, the former is their priority.

Trudeau contended that it is possible to continue to be an immigrant-welcoming nation but also follow rules and procedures.

When asked if the government has lost control of the situation, the prime minister responded with “on the contrary,” and that they are receiving many “positive” results from their efforts.

Due to the Safe Third Country Agreement between the U.S. and Canada people seeking refugee status must apply in the first safe country to which they arrive — making immigrating to Canada not as easy as migrants coming from the U.S. may think.

Until the crossings and claims slow down, temporary tents and refugee residencies have opened, such as a “tent village” by the U.S. border in Quebec.