Canada to expect increase in Haitian and Syrian asylum seekers
Canada should expect an increase in Haitian and Syrian asylum seekers from the border with the United States, according to groups that help asylum seekers.
Frantz André, spokesperson for the Action Committee for Persons Without Status (CAPSS), in Montreal, said he had made this observation since the American justice system authorized the Trump administration to end the legal protections granted to migrants fleeing violence and natural disasters in Haiti and Syria.
Some will be allowed to apply for asylum because they have close family in Canada, but others will likely be handed over to U.S. authorities, where they risk being detained and then deported to countries where they face danger, he said in an interview.
Mr. André says he knows several people who have made the journey north from the United States after learning of the US Supreme Court’s decision, which puts hundreds of thousands of people at risk of detention and deportation.
The U.S. Supreme Court on Thursday allowed the Trump administration to end legal protections for migrants fleeing violence and natural disasters in Haiti and Syria. Hundreds of thousands of people now face the prospect of eviction.
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Some 350,000 Haitians have been granted temporary protected status, many of whom have lived and worked legally in the United States for decades, and have children who are American citizens. Thursday’s decision, which is expected to take effect on July 27, also applies to approximately 6,000 Syrians on American soil. It could also open the door to the administration ending protections for 1.3 million people in 17 countries.
A lawyer from Amnesty International Canada says this court decision illustrates once again why the United States should not be considered a safe country for asylum seekers.
Julia Sande says Canada should withdraw from a key refugee deal that allows it to turn away asylum seekers entering from the United States on the grounds that the country is safe.
With information from the Associated Press
