(This column originally appeared in the Toronto Sun)

Canada is a welcoming country with a proud history of accepting and resettling some of the world’s most vulnerable and persecuted people. There are refugee success stories all around us, and we should always have space in our country to protect those fleeing violence and oppression.

We should have no patience, however, for those who take advantage of our generosity by purposely thwarting our immigration and national security laws.

The recent surge in asylum claims being filed in rural Manitoba is one such example.

According to stats from the Canadian Border Services Agency (CBSA), the number of illegal crossings in Manitoba alone has skyrocketed over recent years. In the 2013-14 fiscal year, there were 68 illegal crossings, 136 in 2014-15 and 321 in 2015-16.

The CBSA has already recorded 403 cases of illegal crossings in this fiscal year.

A CBC report on these illegal crossings refers to a “network of drivers” in the U.S. who transport migrants to the border. The migrants then cross into Canada illegally and claim to be refugees.

There’s a more accurate way of describing this illegal “network.” It’s called a human smuggling ring. And these human smugglers know exactly how to get around existing laws and bilateral agreements.

Canada and the United States have a treaty, the Safe Third Country Agreement, which requires individuals seeking asylum to file their claim in whichever country they arrive in first.

Canada, therefore, does not accept refugees coming through the United States, and vice versa.

The human smugglers know full well that this agreement prevents them from bringing wannabe refugees into Canada – a preferred destination, given Canada’s lenient immigration laws and generous welfare benefits.

But the human smugglers also know that the Safe Third Country Agreement is only enforced at International airports and major land border crossings in Canada.

They know that if a client is dropped off at the border in Buffalo, NY or Blaine, WA, the asylum seekers would immediately be turned away.

That is why hundreds of refugees are showing up at border fields in Manitoba. They are purposely and deliberately circumventing our immigration laws.

Yet, rather than condemning this illegal activity, some of Canada’s top lawyers are urging the government to change the law and accommodate these human smugglers.

The group of 235 legal scholars have called for the Trudeau government to suspend the Safe Third Country Agreement. They argue that the United States can no longer be considered a “safe country.”

What these activist lawyers are really doing is watering down the definition of a refugee.

To be considered a refugee, as per international law…(READ MORE)

(This column originally appeared in the Toronto Sun)

A new comprehensive immigration study has left many liberal pundits and journalists in the mainstream media disillusioned about one of their favourite Canadian myths.

It turns out, Canadians support sensible immigration policies.

Or, as its spun in a University of Toronto and McGill Institute study, Canadians are not as “tolerant” and “open” as we like to think.

The study, based on public opinion polling of 1,522 people in late January, found Canadian attitudes towards immigration are mostly positive or neutral.

However, it also found there is pushback against open border policies.

For instance, most Canadians prefer that newcomers are educated, speak basic English or French and have a job offer before being accepted for immigration.

We prefer skilled immigrants to unskilled.

About 70% of Canadians surveyed agreed or strongly agreed that “people who come to Canada should change their behaviour to be more like Canadians.”

In other words, Canadians want immigration policies focused on selecting the best candidates and ensuring newcomers integrate into our economy and communities. That’s common sense.

When it comes to refugees, Canadians prefer private over government sponsorship (perfectly reasonable, given that private refugees fare much better) and most Canadians believe we should only admit bona fide refugees fleeing real persecution.

None of this should be controversial. Canadians want sound immigration policies, and are rightly skeptical of mass migration without proper screening and vetting.

And yet, many in the media and even the report’s author interpreted this as indicating Canadians are not open-minded enough.

The study concludes we do “not appear to be an exceptionally tolerant public.”

An article in Maclean’s goes further in disparaging Canadians for not being “enlightened” enough on immigration issues, simply because we want to select the best people to come to Canada.

But the study also shows Canadians have an “impressive” knowledge of our own immigration system.

Most Canadians could correctly identify the basic criteria that we use to select newcomers.

It isn’t out of naivety, bigotry or close-mindedness that Canadians are skeptical about mass migration.

It’s based on our experiences — both at home and around the world.

Even a casual observer of Europe’s hands-off approach to selection and integration of newcomers can see the problems with unchecked migration from a war zone.

It’s common sense to be wary when ISIS terrorists boast about infiltrating the crowds of migrants with jihadists, and…(READ MORE)