Due to the efforts of groups like True North, the federal government has implemented changes to the Refugee Protection Act which bars migrants from making asylum claims in Canada if they have already filed claims in another country.
The provision which is meant to discourage “asylum-shopping”, is another instance of a shift in the Liberal’s approach to the border crisis.
Originally, the Liberal government took a lax approach to the border, instigated by the 2015 “Welcome to Canada” tweet by Justin Trudeau. However, recent measures have indicated a remarkable shift in the government’s approach, including seeking to engage US officials in talks to amend loopholes in the Safe Third Country Agreement.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau defended the latest decision, claiming that it’s the government’s priority to ensure that Canadians have confidence in their country’s immigration system.
Since its conception, True North has advocated for a common-sense approach to immigration and Canada’s border policy.
Our investigative reporters and fellows have been at the front lines trying to keep the government accountable on the border and have kept tabs on what the crisis might cost Canadian taxpayers.
Despite True North’s best efforts, there is still good work to be done.
Since April 2017, only 3,150 of the asylum claimants in Canada had prior applications in the United States. Since the same year, around 42,000 migrants had made asylum and refugee claims at the irregular points along the United States border with Quebec.
The cost of illegal migrants crossing into Canada is expected to exceed $1.1 billion this year according to the Parliamentary Budget Officer. Migrants continue to cross into Canada unabate, and the omnibus measures will affect only a fraction of those who pass through the non-official border checkpoints.
However, this is not the first instance where True North has swayed public perception. According to a study conducted by Mission Research, which measured media impact around the UN’s global migration compact, True North had a significant impact shaping people’s perceptions around the agreement.
According to the report, True North had a significant impact in criticizing Justin Trudeau’s pro-compact approach while also benefiting the opposition’s anti-compact criticism.
