Trudeau government is showing its true colours

The Trudeau government is showing its true colours. Despite talk of sunny ways he has showed once again that his policies are almost as brutal as those of his predecessor.

He has refused to open the borders to let people fleeing the US to come to Canada.  On March 29, Immigration Minister Ahmed Hussen said that Canada would not revoke the safe third country agreement with the US. This agreement is forcing people to go on perilous overland treks to reach Canada rather than present themselves at an official border crossing. Many have been severely injured and most have to endure the humiliation of arrest when they arrive. The RCMP has decided they will no longer release statistics on how many people are crossing the border, making it even more difficult for agencies o serve the needs of the refugees.   

The Liberal position also represents a tacit approval of Trump’s policies by suggesting that the US is still a safe haven for refugees. When pressed as to whether he sees the US as a safe haven, Trudeau has refused to answer the question. To any observer watching the daily raids on immigrants and refugees in the US it is absurd to think the country is welcoming to those in need. The country isn’t even safe for citizens of Muslim background let alone for those without legal protections. 

There have been increasing calls from groups such as the Canadian civil liberties association and amnesty international to suspend the agreement.  The Harvard law school wrote a report detailing the fact that the US under Trump is not a safe have for asylum seekers.

Even the Reeve of Emerson Manitoba – a town that has been one of the destinations for many refugees has called for the agreement to be scrapped. He and other townspeople have decided to set up a tent with support services at the border to help people coming in. 

War

To make matters worse, Trudeau also decided this week to extend Canada’s war in Iraq without allowing any debate. The 15 year long war on terror is laying the groundwork for more chaos and brutality in the region.

Canada is now actively supporting the increase in bombing by the US in Iraq. Canada’s special forces are on the ground in Mosul helping to identify bombing targets. The US military has it seems dropped all pretense of avoiding civilian casualties.  In March alone the US has killed more than 1000 civilians in Iraq, Syria and Yemen.

And the Canadian military is warning that it may ramp up its mission in Iraq even further. General Jonathan Vance told the CBC that the new Canadian Defence Review will reflect the pressure being placed on Canada by the US to ramp up military spending to the two per cent of GDP target set by NATO.

The Western powers are responsible for creating the chaos that exists in Iraq and Syria. The US invasion of Iraq in 2003 set off a downward spiral of sectarianism and violence that has engulfed the region. More Canadian forces on the ground will not improve the situation. More reconnaissance flights by Canada helping the bombers find targets will only make matters worse.

Trudeau may have tweeted about his support for peace and for those seeking asylum in Canada but his actions show the opposite. He is both making sure that there will be even more refugees created by supporting open ended war, and he simultaneously shut the door for those fleeing the mess that the West created.