WASHINGTON (Sputnik) — Earlier in the day, US media reported that the Canadian military was deployed to the border to assist with building a temporary shelter needed for hundreds of refugees crossing into Quebec from New York State. Most of the refugees are Haitians who were admitted to the United States after the devastating 2010 earthquake, but whose legal status was unclear.
"The Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) and Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) are actively putting in place contingency plans to redeploy staff and expedite intake processing to alleviate backlogs in determining asylum claimants’ eligibility for a hearing with the Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada (IRB)," Fenelon said when asked how long it may take to process the refugees’ applications.
Fenelon explained she would not be able to speculate on the reasons behind the surge of asylum seekers in Canada.
The immigration debate has heated in the United States after President Donald Trump and US Senators Tom Cotton and David Purdue spoke in support of the Reforming American Immigration for a Strong Economy (RAISE) Act.
The RAISE Act would place an immigration system that favors people who speak English, can support themselves and their families as well as demonstrate skills that support the US economy.
