PM Trudeau Balances Welcoming Message To Newcomers With Emphasis On Immigration Rules

KELOWNA, B.C. — Justin Trudeau says there's nothing inconsistent about touting Canada as a welcoming country that embraces immigrants and refugees while simultaneously trying to head off another wave of irregular arrivals.

 

The prime minister says Canada's openness to newcomers and the government's insistence on following immigration rules go hand in hand.

 

He says Canadians embrace newcomers precisely because they have faith in the integrity of Canada's immigration system.

 

Trudeau's remarks came at the end of a two-day Liberal caucus retreat, during which he confirmed that Montreal MP Pablo Rodriguez is being dispatched to Los Angeles to dispel myths among would-be refugee claimants about how easy it is to be accepted in Canada.

 

At the same time, Trudeau paid a surprise visit to a citizenship ceremony, extolling Canada as a place where people not only tolerate newcomers but love and accept them. 

 

Conservatives have blamed what they characterize as Trudeau's reckless rhetoric about welcoming immigrants and refugees for encouraging thousands of people to illegally cross the border from the United States and make refugee claims here.