National

Trudeau Defends Changes To Asylum Laws That Have Refugee Workers Alarmed

Darpan News Desk The Canadian Press, 10 Apr, 2019 06:59 PM

OTTAWA — Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is defending a changes to asylum laws included in an omnibus budget bill tabled this week, saying his government is working to ensure Canada's refugee system is fair for everyone.

The changes would prevent asylum seekers from making refugee claims in Canada if they have made similar claims in certain other countries, including the United States — a move Border Security Minister Bill Blair says is aimed at preventing "asylum-shopping."

Lawyers and advocates who work with refugees are sounding the alarm about the legal changes, saying they would strip human-rights protections from vulnerable asylum-seekers.

Trudeau says Canada has been seeing larger numbers of refugee claims because of global instability.

He says his priority is to ensure Canadians retain confidence in the country's asylum system, which means every person who comes to Canada must do so according to the law.

More than 41,000 asylum seekers have crossed into Canada "irregularly" through unofficial paths along the Canada-U.S. border since early 2017.

Prev Next

MORE National ARTICLES

Avalanche Warning Issued For B.C.’s South Coast, Island As Weak Snowpack Persists

Avalanche Canada says there is a weak layer in the snowpack that is about 50 centimetres deep, prompting a warning until Sunday.

Avalanche Warning Issued For B.C.’s South Coast, Island As Weak Snowpack Persists

Sell Regulated Heroin To Drug Users To Reduce Overdose Deaths: B.C. Group

The BC Centre on Substance Use is proposing a policy to sell legally regulated heroin as part of an urgent response to reduce opioid overdose deaths from a toxic drug supply that is profiting organized crime groups.

Sell Regulated Heroin To Drug Users To Reduce Overdose Deaths: B.C. Group

Few Incentives In Spending-Heavy B.C. Budget, Global Downturn Worries Business

VICTORIA — British Columbia's budget pays too little attention to the potential impacts of a slowing global economy and a shifting housing market, business leaders say.

Few Incentives In Spending-Heavy B.C. Budget, Global Downturn Worries Business

Proposed Edible Pot Rules Are Wasteful, Would Leave Products Tasteless: Critics

Canada's proposed edible pot regulations would result in tasteless products wrapped in wasteful packaging, shutting out medical patients and fuelling a continued black market, critics say

Proposed Edible Pot Rules Are Wasteful, Would Leave Products Tasteless: Critics

Man Arrested, Charged In String Of Four Bank Robberies Over Four Hours In Surrey

Richard Orr, 24, Is Charged With Four Counts Of Robbery And Remains In Custody Following The Four-Hour Spree On Feb. 12.

Man Arrested, Charged In String Of Four Bank Robberies Over Four Hours In Surrey

Alcohol Policies Fizzle For Canadian Governments As Harms Overflow: Reports

VICTORIA — Two new studies say the federal and provincial governments must do more to reduce alcohol consumption after determining damages from drinking have surpassed tobacco use.