Organizations that support asylum seekers in Montreal say they are preparing for a potential increase in demand after the United States ended Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for more than 300,000 Haitians.
Advocates warn the change leaves many Haitians vulnerable to detention or deportation despite ongoing violence and instability in their home country.
“Now 350,000 people are officially non-status or illegal, so it’s going to be a fair game for ICE and Haitians are gonna be the first ones targeted,” said Frantz André of the Action Committee for People Without Status.
TPS, which had allowed Haitians to live and work legally in the U.S. on a temporary basis, officially expired Monday. The measure also affected approximately 6,000 Syrians.
Immigration and refugee lawyer Fedora Mathieu called the decision “inhumane,” pointing to the security crisis in Haiti, where gang violence has displaced thousands and left many residents living in fear.
“They have to flee because otherwise, if they are at the wrong place, at the wrong time, they’re gonna get killed,” Mathieu said.
Community groups in Montreal believe some Haitians who lose protected status in the U.S. may try to come to Canada to avoid deportation. However, legal barriers remain.
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Under the Safe Third Country Agreement, most refugee claimants who arrive at the Canada-U.S. border must seek asylum in the first country where they arrived. Exceptions exist for some groups, including unaccompanied minors and people with close family members in Canada.
Mathieu said recent federal legislation has further limited options for people crossing irregularly and later making refugee claims.
Advocates nevertheless fear some Haitians may still attempt to enter Canada through unofficial routes, creating opportunities for human smugglers.
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“Yes. They’re asking thousands of dollars. However, stopping two groups, there will be 10 more because there is a huge demand,” André said.
Legal experts argue Canada should take additional measures to protect people affected by the end of TPS. Julia Sande, a lawyer with Amnesty International, said Ottawa should withdraw from the Safe Third Country Agreement.
“Canada is violating the rights of people by sending them back to the States, knowing there’s a real risk,” Sande said.
Some advocates are also calling on the federal government to create a special program for Haitians leaving the United States, noting that many have lived there for years and are skilled workers.
They argue Canada has a responsibility to provide protection to those facing the prospect of being returned to Haiti amid the country’s ongoing crisis.
Great. Now Quebec will want even more transfer payment funding to house and feed them since this will increase their Liberal voting base. maybe all of these advocates will house and feed them while saving me a dollar or two.
Oh great, Haiti is literally the worst country in the world. I’m advocating for Canadians – keep these people out. We have enough 3rd world losers here already.
Import the 3rd world, become the 3rd world. Alberta out!
Canada needs more loser immigrants to take government assistance in the form of welfare cheques and housing funded by your money be happy
More garbage coming
We have our elders and the homeless problem to deal with. The failed state of Haiti is not our concern.
Canada cannot accept any more people. Our infrastructure and social programs are at breaking point now.
Ben is happy that more Liberal voters will be coming to Canada.
The Liberal Party will NEVER block potential Liberal voters from coming to Canada, getting free housing, food allowance, cell phones, health care, etc
No more pigs, sheep in canada, we’re not a farm
No more monkeys in cunada, we’re not a zoo
I’m personally happy that Canada has open borders so we can accept more international criminals into Canada. Remember for every asylum seeker entering Canada there’s an educated professional leaving. I think Carney is doing a great job promoting Canada to the rest of the third world.
“Elbows up”
Turn them around at the border ,we don’t need any more of any breed.
We need people who can build Canada , not more Uber Eats or Skip the Dishes drivers
More recruits for Carney’s military. They will become his Pretorian Guard. Seriously, do we REALLY need more unskilled people coming into Canada? Especially considering that our youth unemployment is sky high. Who will be supporting the Haitian’s in Canada ? The dumb taxpayer yet again. No thank you.
no thanks, already filled up with 3rd world illegal immigrants
NOOOOOO!!
Maybe we can hire more temporary foreign workers as border guards or police officers to carry these Haitians suitcases once their accepted at our open border at Roxham rd .
It’s time to stop immigration except for professions and trades people Canada needs. We allow too many ‘parasites’ who bring nothing to Canada and are a drain on our resources. They allowed their home country to become a Sh*thole now they want to bring that ‘culture’ here. Stay home and fix your country!
Nope, send them back to Haiti where their skills can be put to work in engineering and the medical science fields in their home country. After all they ARE all engineers and doctors, Right ?
alberta never signed the migration pact. we should flee out of this mess. canada should admit weare no longer a first world country
Sure lets import Haitian gang members into Canada, after all what could possibly go wrong.
These people have zero education and/ot skill sets. We don’t need them.
The fact remains that Canada needs more workers to pay for social programs and a shortage in some occupations. Practically every expert states this.
Of course the liberals will embrace them with open arms they always welcome people that are ready to scam the system and looking for handouts.
Send them to liberal voting ridings we dont want them in decent working Canadian areas.
More Uber Eats drivers for Quebec
We don’t want to bring these type
Of people into Canada
What a joke
These delusional “advocates” need to realize the state Canada is in. We are overrun by migrants who don’t want to be Canadians. They hate our values and way of life. All they came for is our benefits, free everything while Canadians suffer.
And now even more of those primitive, often mentally unstable freeloaders coming in? Fine but ONLY if those “advocates” take them into their own homes and pay for everything.
Carney will invite them in.
Joke. Don’t be surprised if this sap country allows it.
Nope the in is full
Dumbest thing that Canada could do but that hasn’t stopped the LPC yet
We are not the worlds dumpster.
“No Vacancy”
“Not Hiring”
“Need not Apply”
So? It’s not 🇨🇦 s problem.
Sorry, Canada is Closed.
Try again in a century or so.
Thanks,Canada.
It’s good to accept more people if the cost is paid by the parliament officials and government cabinet ministers.
Canada is not rich enough to accept some many refugees illegal immigrants and we already have so many Indians in Tim’s,walmart, restaurants and even hospitals where fake nurses and doctors from India with their fraudulent medical diploma serve Canada kindly. We don’t need any more.
Oh good, just what we need.
who should pay for these people? Their food, living place etc. All cost money while Canadians need wait long hours in emergency ward and homeless people wait for shelter. Canada has done more humanitarian responsibilities than it is capable of. Ukraine cost Canada tens of billions of dollars. Canada has its borders.
So, Canada is reducing skilled workers immigration and student visas, but ramping up the asylum seekers numbers? Nice.
As a diehard Liberal supporter I say let all of those 300,000 Haitian’s that the US doesn’t want into Canada after all what harm could it possibly do ???
Canada’s 1st responsibility is to look after Canadians which they are not doing well. When you look at hospital and EMS wait times, homelessness, school overcrowding. Let’s bring more people into Canada that will help LOL
We do not want them. We are full, no doctors, no housing and most are criminals!