1 minute read
Canada and World News
Federal immigration minister criticizes Ont. Tories’ language on asylum seekers
BY MICHAEL TUTTON The Canadian Press
Advertisement
HALIFAX — The federal minister of immigration objected Monday to the new Ontario Tory government’s references to people claiming refugee status as “illegal border crossers.”
Last week, a spokesman for Premier Doug Ford used the term in a statement sent to the media, saying the recent influx of asylum seekers has resulted in a housing crisis in Toronto and “threats to services that Ontario families depend on.”
On Monday, an emailed statement sent to The Canadian Press from Ford’s office repeated the “illegal border crossers” terminology.
Ahmed Hussen, the federal minister of immigration, refugees and citizenship, told a news conference Monday he believes Ford’s vocabulary is inaccurate.
Trudeau in Latvia prior to NATO summit; expected to extend Canadian mission
BY TERESA WRIGHT The Canadian Press
OTTAWA — Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is expected to commit Canada to spend several more years leading a NATO battle group in Latvia — news that will come Tuesday on the eve of the alliance’s summit in Brussels, where leaders will be braced for a showdown with U.S. President Donald Trump over military spending.
Trudeau arrived in Latvia late Monday, one day before he’ll visit the approximately 450 Canadian troops leading the multinational force that was first announced in 2016 as a check against Russian aggression in eastern Europe.
That will serve as the backdrop for the news that Canada is renewing the mission, the current three-year mandate for which is currently run out on March 31, 2019, sources told The Canadian Press, speaking on condition of anonymity in order to discuss details not yet made public.
