Canada’s Trudeau Welcomes Refugees Of Muslim Countries Banned From U.S.

Justin Trudeau, Canada’s Prime Minister, says that U.S. bound refugees will be welcomed in Canada who have been banned from entering the US for the next four months, according to PBS reports.

Trudeau tweeted “To those fleeing persecution, terror & war, will welcome you, regardless of your faith. Diversity is our strength #WelcomeToCanada” on Saturday January 28, 2017

Justin Trudeau’s “Welcome to Canada” trended in Canada, with nearly 600,000 likes and nearly 350,000 re-tweets of Trudeau’s post at the time of going press.

To those fleeing persecution, terror & war, Canadians will welcome you, regardless of your faith. Diversity is our strength #WelcomeToCanada

— Justin Trudeau (@JustinTrudeau) January 28, 2017

Trump Bans Travelers From Muslim-Majority Countries

Trudeau’s posts are in reaction to an executive order of US President Donald Trump regarding refugees. On Friday, January 29, 2017, U.S. President Donald Trump temporarily barred travelers from these seven Islam-centric countries: Iran, Iraq, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, Syria, and Yemen. Trump signed an executive order on Friday to stop “radical Islamic terrorists” from entering the U.S. This order includes a 90-day ban on citizens from these countries, as well as a 120-day suspension of the U.S. refugee program.

Trump Singles Syrians Out In Banning Order While Trudeau Highlights His Welcome Of Syrian Refugees

U.S. President Donald Trump has banned Syrians from entering the United States for an indefinite period. Trump’s aggressive ban includes Syrian refugees who are fleeing their country due to civil war.

In sharp contrast, a second tweet from Justin Trudeau highlights his intent to welcome banned refugees. Trudeau posted a photo of himself at a Canadian airport where he welcomed a Syrian refugee to his country in 2015.

In 2015, the Syrian refugee crisis was a key issue in the Canadian elections and in Trudeau’s campaign because of an image that went viral and became the top trending photo on Twitter. It was a photo of a 3-year old Syrian boy who had drowned and was carried by a Turkish police officer on a Turkish beach and brought the refugee crisis to the forefront. This little boy had relatives who live in Canada.

During the last 13 months, BBC reports that Trudeau has allowed nearly 40,000 refugees from Syria entrance into Canada. It is also reported that Canada has plans to allow a further 40,000 refugees into the country in 2017 under the leadership of Trudeau.

Trudeau To Discuss Immigration and Refugee Policies With Trump

Cameron Ahmad, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s press secretary, said that the Trudeau would discuss immigration and refugee policies with U.S. President Donald Trump. Kate Purchase, the spokeswoman for Trudeau, told The Associated Press, “The Prime Minister is looking forward to discussing the successes of Canada’s immigration and refugee policy with the President when they next speak.”

Recently, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has avoided direct criticism of President Trump, despite the fact that Trudeau has such differing political views from Trump.

Recently, Trudeau has focused on the strong economic ties between the US and Canada. The U.S. imports more than 75 percent of Canada’s product.

Confusion At Airports About U.S. Refugee Bans, Dual Citizenship

Reuters reports that President Trump’s executive order has resulted in confusion about the refugee ban at airports internationally, with several airlines reporting that they are adhering to the new rules.

Part of the confusion stems from the fact that the executive order not only prohibits nationals from the seven banned countries but also those with dual citizenship to these countries.

U.S. National Security Adviser has confirmed that Canadian passport holders, including dual citizens, will not be affected by the U.S. ban. An emailed statement from a spokeswoman for Prime Minister Trudeau also advises, “We have been assured that Canadian citizens traveling on Canadian passports will be dealt with in the usual process.”

Ahmed Hussen, Canada’s Immigration Minister to Trudeau, is a dual national. Hussen arrived in the country as a Somali refugee.

John Tory, mayor of Canada’s Toronto, sums it up succinctly.

“We understand that as Canadians we are almost all immigrants, and that no one should be excluded on the basis of their ethnicity or nationality.”

[Featured Image by Alex Brandon/AP Images]