Diane Francis: Trudeau's open immigration policies are becoming a problem for Americans
The foolish immigration policies of Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s Liberals and their NDP backers have burdened Canada’s health-care system, inflated housing costs and are now starting to annoy Washington.
America’s immigration problems at its southern border are nightmarish by comparison, but some members of Congress have also voiced concerns that their northern border with Canada has become a backdoor entry into the United States for increasing numbers of illegal migrants and drugs.
Over two dozen Republicans formed a northern border security caucus earlier this year, which intends to identify and quantify the problem at the U.S.-Canadian border. In recent years, the surge in refugee claimants from the U.S. into Canada, via Roxham Road (closed in September) in rural Quebec, has been the biggest bilateral immigration issue and led to a new asylum pact with the U.S.
“What’s gotten less attention is the exponential surge in migration going the other way,” wrote Alexander Panetta, the CBC’s Washington correspondent. The northern border caucus is calling for more border agents and monitoring equipment, all of which will slow border crossings for those headed to the United States from Canada.
Remote areas are most affected. “We are being assaulted because we don’t have a border,” said Rep. Ryan Zinke of Montana. “This is a national security problem and the northern tier has their own set of challenges.”
Americans have also complained about visa requirements for Mexicans who wish to enter Canada. Mexicans can fly and enter Canada if they obtain an eTA, or an online visa waiver, which entitles them to stay for up to six months. An unknown number are smuggled into the United States by vehicle.
Fox News reported in February
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