Long known for its welcoming stance towards immigrants, Canada is now pulling back its welcome mat and launching a global online ad campaign warning refugees that "claiming asylum in Canada is not easy."
The ad campaign, announced by Reuters, follows Donald Trump's tariff threats directed at Canada and Mexico, which he blames for having "open borders" that bring "crime and drugs" into the United States.
In September, U.S. Customs and Border Protection agents reported nearly 20,000 encounters with migrants between ports of entry along the U.S.-Canada border, a 95% increase from last year.
Canada's immigration department told the news agency the ads will cost around $180,000 and run through March. Search queries related to claiming asylum in Canada will prompt the sponsored ads, which, the ministry says, will provide aspiring asylum seekers with information about the "strict guidelines to qualify."
According to Reuters, Canada's refugee system faces a 260,000-case backlog, and slowing down asylum claims will not be easy given growing global displacement and the limited control countries have over who files for asylum.
The campaign is being launched not only as a response to Trump's threats but also due to a shifting national sentiment towards newcomers. For the past two years, a growing number of Canadians believe there is "too much immigration."
According to a recent report by Focus Canada, 58% of Canadians now believe the country accepts too many immigrants, a 14-percentage-point increase since 2023 and a 17-point increase since 2022. "Public opinion about the volume of immigration currently being admitted into the country has effectively flipped from being acceptable to problematic," the report reads.
With the issue set to be a hot-button topic in Canada's 2025 elections, Trudeau recently announced plans to reduce the number of new permanent residents from 500,000 to 325,000 in 2025, a 21% decrease. Temporary workers and international students will also be affected by the new legal immigration caps.
According to Trudeau, these changes are meant to slow Canada's population growth and allow the country's infrastructure to catch up with the increased demand for housing and social services.
Political observers emphasize the astonishing shift in Canada's messaging to immigrants. In 2017, Trudeau tweeted, "To those fleeing persecution, terror & war, Canadians will welcome you, regardless of your faith. Diversity is our strength #WelcomeToCanada." Now, almost eight years later, the message has changed to a less attractive and welcoming one for aspiring immigrants.
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