Intolerance towards immigrants has no place in Canada, prime minister warns

Since 2017, about 30,000 migrants have illegally crossed the border into Canada, and turned to the police with their asylum claims.

In this vein, the provinces of Quebec and Ontario continue to urge the country’s government to tackle the costs related to the asylum seekers.

When asked whether he went too far in accusing a Quebec woman of intolerance during a campaign-style rally in Montreal last week, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has warned against sticking to the politics of division, which he said are creating a “dangerous path” for the country.

He promised to “be very clear when people are trying to push politics of fear and indeed, intolerance.”

“That’s something Canadians expect of me,” Trudeau pointed out.

During last week’s Quebec rally, the woman repeatedly asked Trudeau in French when he will refund “your illegal immigrants,” something that was followed by the Canadian Prime Minister responding that “intolerance towards immigrants has no place in Canada” and that “your racism has no place here.”

The incident took place amid criticism over the Trudeau government’s inability to pay back the province of Quebec for the millions of dollars it has spent to handle thousands of asylum seekers that have crossed into the area over the past 18 months.

Canada has been noted as welcoming immigrants during the current global refugee crisis. Ottawa is planning on accepting some 310,000 permanent residents this year and has stated its intention to increase that number to 340,000 by 2020.