Cronkite school of journalism at
Arizona state university.
>> On his first presidential
trip to Canada, president Biden
met with prime minister Justin
Trudeau and the duo announced an
northern border deal to address
the growing number of migrants
crossing from the U.S. Into
Canada.
Canada saw 40,000 crossings at
unofficial points of entry last
year, the highest number in five
years.
Most of those were in upstate
New York, where the crossing
into Quebec has become the
busiest route for
asylum-seekers.
The deal allows Canada to turn
away people at a entry points.
Canada also pledged to welcome
15,000 Central American migrants
through legal pathways.
President Biden spoke about the
deal.
>> I applaud Canada for opening
up new legal pathways for 1500
migrants to come to Canada.
The United States and Canada
will work together to discourage
unlawful border crossings.
Welcoming refugees and seeking
asylum seekers as a part of who
Canadians and Americans are.
>> Watching all this closely as
the executive director of the
refugee center in Montreal.
His group has been working with
migrants who cross the border
into Canada.
Thanks for joining us.
Let's start with the impact of
that agreement announced today.
How big a change in this is in
terms of -- in terms of how
migrants are processed when they
come into Canada?
>> It's a big change.
We usually encounter about
40,000 individuals and now the
significant number reduced to
15,000.
It's kind of scary.
These individuals are seeking
safety in Canada and seeking
asylum.
They are going to try to come
here whichever way they can.
It is big change.
>> What about the part of the
deal where Canada will open up
additional legal pathways for
people to arrive from some of
those south and Central American
countries.
What do you make of that?
>> It's a very small step.
15,000 compared to the 40,000 we
had in this last year.
It's also just from the western
hemisphere.
A lot of individuals come in
from Afghanistan, Libya, Yemen,
west Africa.
It is a mix of individuals who
are seeking safety.
There is a global disorder right
now and a lot of individuals are
trying to migrate to safer areas
because they are facing
persecution.
I don't think it's well thought
out.
I think it's a knee-jerk
reaction to the politicization
of the topic.
>> When you talk to these
families, what do they tell you
about why they are deciding to
try to come to Canada in
particular?
>> I think Canada has this
reputation that welcomes
refugees and asylum-seekers.
They believe they have a chance
at due process.
Individuals don't feel they have
the same safety in the united
States.
They believe their best chance
to seek safety and have their
stories heard is in Canada.
>> What about your immigration
system?
We have seen in the united
States the system has been
really taxed when we have seen
the same increase of people
arriving at the U.S. Southern
border.
Canada is now seeing a dramatic
rise in the number of people
seeking asylum.
How has your system been able to
handle it?
>> Just like any system, it's a
little bit of a strain.
It's nothing we cannot handle.
We accepted over 150,000
Ukrainians as refugees into the
country and our infrastructure
was able to accommodate that.
90,000 individuals claim to this
last year through points of
entry, we were able to
accommodate that as well.
Obviously with some more
investment and more health --
help.
We can accommodate it and create
systems to accommodate more.
This kind of response is a bit
fearful because when we are
restricting migration patterns,
people resort to different means
and bad-faith actors might come
in and we could see human
smuggling or human trafficking
as well.
>> Officials say agreements like
this will help discourage
unlawful migration.
Do you agree?
>> I don't think so.
I think it would be pretty bad
deterrent policy.
Individuals are coming to seek
safety no matter what, by any
means necessary.
This is our fear.
We don't want bad-faith actors
coming here and taking advantage
of people, allowing more
regularized pathways to
migration with members that
actually reflect migration
patterns is a better solution.
15,000 I don't think is good.
>> Mr. Trudeau's government
pledged to increase immigration.
They welcome to arriving
refugees from Syria with open
arms.
Canada is always seen as a
welcoming place for arriving
populations.
Do you think the politics of
this moment, you will see that
change in Canada in terms of the
welcoming spirit?
>> No, the spirit of the people
is very strong.
Everyone here is very welcoming
towards refugees.
There is politicization of this
particular topic and with the
wrong policy, people can
polarize it.
We do think these numbers are
more regularized fashion will
continue our current welcoming
spirit.
These increased numbers again is
just a reflection.
15,000 I think is just a drop in
the bucket.
We can definitely do more.
We hope there is a current
challenge to save the country
and we hope the challenge goes
through.
>> Executive director of the
refugee center in Montreal,