An
Angus Reid poll released Friday shows about two thirds of Canadians feel the
influx of illegal border crossers amounts to a crisis. These two thirds include
people who voted NDP and Liberal in the 2015 general election. As the Liberal
government is fond of noting, anyone who opposes these people walking into
Canada from the United States is “alt right” and “un-Canadian.” Wonder how
Liberal Party supporters who chuckle at conservatives being called names feel
now. Time will tell. (Angus Reid Institute, Aug. 3)
The government’s position has been to spend money on housing and feeding these people who are called by the Liberals and their sycophants in the media as “irregular border crossers.” Some even prefer the term “refugees” although they are merely refugee claimants, a big difference.
The government’s position has been to spend money on housing and feeding these people who are called by the Liberals and their sycophants in the media as “irregular border crossers.” Some even prefer the term “refugees” although they are merely refugee claimants, a big difference.
In
a recent cabinet shuffle, MP and former Toronto police chief Bill Blair was
appointed Minister of Border Security and Organized Crime Reduction. This was a
newly created ministry and the media had fun asking Blair what is duties are.
Blair had no idea. But it’s not his fault. It is the government and not the
minister who decides what the ministry entails. The new portfolio was probably
created to make Blair, an old white guy, take the heat for the Somali-born
Immigration Minister Ahmed Hussen, a real favourite of Justin’s.
Blair’s reaction to the Angus Reid poll was the typical position taken by elites. He said, in effect, people who think the number of illegal border crossings is a crisis are just too stupid to understand it is not a crisis. Blair thinks it is manageable and it is as long as Canadian taxpayers do not run out of money to fund these “irregulars.”
The number of illegals coming into Canada surged dramatically after Donald Trump became president. Trump signalled he would be tough on those illegally in the United States. The new president also indicated he would cancel some of the TPS, (Temporary Protected Status) programs for certain countries that allowed people from these countries to remain in the U.S. without status. The left it seems have trouble with the definition of “temporary.” And the entire situation was not helped by Justin Trudeau’s tweet telling illegals in the United States they would be welcomed in Canada.
Blair was in Toronto giving Mayor John Tory $11million for housing these illegals, mainly in hotels. It was not nearly enough but the mayor, whose main function is life is to beg other levels of government for money, was beaming. The government’s only solution to the never ending stream of illegals walking into Canada is to provide future money for more hotel rooms for more people for a longer and indefinite amount of time.
Blair’s reaction to the Angus Reid poll was the typical position taken by elites. He said, in effect, people who think the number of illegal border crossings is a crisis are just too stupid to understand it is not a crisis. Blair thinks it is manageable and it is as long as Canadian taxpayers do not run out of money to fund these “irregulars.”
The number of illegals coming into Canada surged dramatically after Donald Trump became president. Trump signalled he would be tough on those illegally in the United States. The new president also indicated he would cancel some of the TPS, (Temporary Protected Status) programs for certain countries that allowed people from these countries to remain in the U.S. without status. The left it seems have trouble with the definition of “temporary.” And the entire situation was not helped by Justin Trudeau’s tweet telling illegals in the United States they would be welcomed in Canada.
Blair was in Toronto giving Mayor John Tory $11million for housing these illegals, mainly in hotels. It was not nearly enough but the mayor, whose main function is life is to beg other levels of government for money, was beaming. The government’s only solution to the never ending stream of illegals walking into Canada is to provide future money for more hotel rooms for more people for a longer and indefinite amount of time.
It
was placing these refugee claimants in hotels that was too much for many
people. While the country’s homeless, many of whom made contributions to Canada,
military and otherwise, are left to sleep on grates or in homemade tents while
those abusing the refugee system get to stay in hotels. The government clearly
has no desire to stem the flow and prefer simply to throw more and more money
at it. But there are things that can be done. There is simply no political will
to even acknowledge the problem let alone solve it.
Renegotiate the Safe Third Country
Agreement
Under an agreement with the United States, anyone who comes to Canada from the U.S. and claims asylum can be sent back to the United States and told to apply there. But this agreement only applies to those coming to the border at legal ports of entry. Anyone who makes it into Canada through a non-legal border crossing has to be allowed to stay in order to claim refugee status.
This solution has little chance of success. For anyone paying attention, Canada doesn’t do too good when it comes to negotiating with the Trump administration. One only has to look at how Canada has been frozen out of renegotiations of NAFTA. Canada was not even allowed at the table while the U.S. and Mexico attempt a new agreement. It is hard to believe the U.S. government is really concerned about illegal immigrants leaving the country for the great white north. This is essentially a non-starter.
Designate the Entire Border Ports
of Entry
This idea was floated by Michelle Rempel, the CPC’s immigration critic. The problem is declaring the entire border a port of entry is not sufficient. In order to enter Canada legally a person must not only cross at a designated port of entry but submit themselves to an immigration officer for examination. Officials will have to be placed at points where people come into Canada for this proposal to work. Officers could be placed at popular crossings such as Roxham Road in Quebec but as soon as they were, smugglers would find another route. Manning the border to keep illegals out would become much like a whack-a-mole game. This proposal would not stop those determined to come to Canada from arriving here but it would definitely slow it down.
Abolish the Anchor Principle
Under current laws, anyone who crosses illegally into Canada can then be joined by their immediate family members who are in the United States. These family members will be allowed into Canada even if they appear at a regular port of entry. Getting rid of this anchor principle may deter some people from entering Canada although these numbers may not be significant. This is an example of how the Canadian government not only fails to deter illegals from entering the country but actually makes it easier for them to do so.
Use the Charter’s Notwithstanding
Clause
Justin Trudeau always talks about international agreements Canada is a signatory to that governs how Canada treats refugee claimants. But more importantly, the provisions under the Geneva Convention dealing with refugees has been incorporated into Canadian law and are now found in the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act. In 1985, the Supreme Court of Canada held that everyone seeking refugee status in Canada MUST have a hearing. It is the requirement of an oral hearing of a refugee claim that causes massive delays and expenditures to the government.
Section 33 of the Charter of Rights and Freedoms is the so-called Notwithstanding Clause. If a law is found unconstitutional by the courts, the federal government or a province can simply enact the law again and state it operates notwithstanding the Charter of Rights and Freedoms. Such a law is only good for a maximum of five years although it can be renewed.
Since the Charter’s inception in 1982, the federal government has never used the Notwithstanding Clause although two provinces, Saskatchewan and Quebec, have. The federal government could use this clause to deny all refugee claimants a hearing. Immigration officers could determine which claimants are entitled to a full hearing and those who are refused can simply be issued a deportation order. Deportation would be to their country of nationality, not the United States. This would act as a deterrent for those entering Canada from the U.S. simply because they are afraid of Trump enforcing American law.
It is doubtful even an Andrew Scheer-led CPC government would employ such a drastic measure. But steps can be taken to reduce the flow of illegals from south of the border.
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Arthur
Weinreb is an author, columnist and Associate Editor of Canada Free Press.
Arthur’s latest book, Ford Nation: Why hundreds of thousands of Torontonians
supported their conservative crack-smoking mayor is available
at Amazon. Racism and the Death of Trayvon Martin is
also available at Smashwords. His work has appeared on Newsmax.com,
Drudge Report, Foxnews.com.