Region

News

You are here

Trudeau refuses to take action against racist travel ban

Rally in Washington DC against travel ban. Photo by Ted Eytan
By: 
Bradley Hughes

February 22, 2017

Trump's racist travel ban was challenged in the airports, in the streets, and in the courts. In Canada, people across the country have taken to the streets to show solidarity with Muslims in Canada after the terror attack on a mosque in Quebec, and to protest the racism of Trump and his like that inspire such attacks.
 
Trump’s racist travel ban was issued on January 27. It banned people from Iraq, Syria, Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan and Yemen and all refugees from entering the United States. It was eventually overturned by the courts in the US. Since then Trump has announced he will issue a new travel ban.
 
Despite all of this opposition to Trump and his racism, Prime Minister Trudeau has done nothing. Despite letter writing campaigns, petitions and other pleas from tens of thousands, the Prime Minister has steadfastly refused to take action. While Trudeau is often accused of leading with words instead of action, he even failed at this: when asked about the travel ban while he stood next to Trump during his visit to the US, he claimed "the last thing Canadians expect is for me to come down and lectutre another country on how they chose to govern themselves"--effectively siding with Trump against the movement in solidarity with refugees.
 
Words and actions
As many organizations and individuals have pointed out there are a number of things Trudeau could do, if he opposes Trump's actions and would like to help those effected by the ban. First and foremost, he could publicly denounce Trump. This would show solidarity with Muslims in Canada and around the world who are targeted by Trump's racism. It would also show solidarity with the protestors in the states.
 
Our government could also end the Canada-US Safe Third Country Agreement that was put in place by the Harper government to prevent refugees who arrived in the US from continuing on to Canada. If the US was ever safe for refugees, it certainly isn’t now. This agreement means that refugees in the US will be turned away if they try to cross the border legally. So of course, refugees are hiking for hours in sub-zero temperatures to cross the border outside of the border crossing. Will it take deaths in the snow, before Trudeau will open our borders to refugees who can not find sanctuary in the US?
 
Trudeau could raise the number of refugees we are accepting from the countries targeted by Trump. As the majority of these are countries that Canada has invaded and/or bombed alongside the US in recent history, helping to cause the current refugee crisis, Trudeau could also end Canada's participation in the wars that drive people from their homes.
 
There are many things Trudeau could say and do. Or he could just tweet about it.
 
Email your MP to call on the Canadian government to oppose Trump’s travel bans: https://leapmanifesto.org/en/step-up-against-hate/

Section: 
Topics: 
Geo Tags: 

Featured Event

Events

Twitter

Visit our YouTube Channel for more videos: Our Youtube Channel
Visit our UStream Channel for live videos: Our Ustream Channel