Tasha Kheiriddin: In the age of Trump, Canada must stem the refugee tide
Ottawa must send a clear message that the country is not a migrant free for all
Published Nov 12, 2024
However, there is still a glaring loophole. Under the act, a person who enters Canada illegally, other than at a designated port of entry, and remains undiscovered for 14 days, is exempt from the prohibition on seeking asylum in Canada per the agreement. They can then file an application for asylum from inside Canada. The issue has been flagged by the Canadian-American group Lawyers for Secure Immigration and brought to the attention of Immigration Minister Marc Miller, but so far, immigration lawyer Veronique Malka says the group has had no response.
According to the government of Canada website, estimated processing time for refugee claimants is currently 25 months outside of Quebec, and 42 months inside Quebec. Lawyers for Secure Immigration say the truth is closer to four years and longer. In other words, if you want to stave off deportation to your country of origin for Trump’s entire term in office, while working and receiving benefits, come to Canada. Now add a million applications to that backlog, and that time will only get longer.