Canada is warning that seeking asylum is ‘not easy’ with a new global ad campaign – National
After presenting itself as one of the most welcoming countries for refugees and immigrants, Canada is launching a global online advertising campaign warning asylum seekers that making a claim is difficult.
The $250,000 ($178,662) ads will begin in March in 11 languages, including Spanish, Urdu, Ukrainian, Hindi and Tamil, the immigration department told Reuters. They are part of a broader shift in tone by Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s government that is unpopular with immigrants and an effort to clamp down on refugee claims.
Immigrants have been blamed for high housing prices, although some experts argue that this is a simplistic explanation, and polls show a growing number of Canadians think the country is accepting too many new people.
The four-month campaign is set to cost a third of the amount spent on similar ads seven years ago.
Search queries such as “how to seek asylum in Canada” and “canada refugee” will prompt sponsored content titled “Canada’s asylum Facts – Asylum Facts,” the department said.
“Seeking asylum in Canada is not easy. There are strict eligibility guidelines. Find out what you need to know before you make a life-changing decision,” reads one ad.
Canada has long been seen as a welcoming place for newcomers. Now its leaders are reducing immigration and trying to get temporary residents to leave and prevent people fleeing US President-elect Donald Trump from seeking asylum.
Get the latest country news
For news that affects Canada and the world, sign up for breaking news alerts delivered directly to you as they happen.
“Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada is working to combat the spread of false information and disinformation about the Canadian immigration process, and to highlight the dangers of working with unauthorized agents,” a department spokesperson said in an email.
It could be an uphill battle. Canada’s refugee system is facing a backlog of 260,000 cases amid a surge in global migration. The government has no power to control who seeks asylum.
Its immigration minister has indicated that it is speeding up claims that seem unlikely to succeed. The government hopes that millions of people will leave the country alone when their visas expire, and the immigration minister has threatened to deport them if they don’t.
It is a stunning about-face in a government that has been rolling out the welcome mat for years.
In January 2017, when Trump took office, Trudeau wrote on Twitter: “For those fleeing persecution, fear and war, Canadians will welcome you, regardless of your faith. Diversity is our strength #WelcomeToCanada.”
On November 17, nearly eight years later, Trudeau published a video promoting his government’s immigration policies, calling out “bad actors” who were “manipulating our immigration system for their own gain.”
Last month, the Liberal government, which is coming into the election, announced that it is reducing permanent and temporary immigration. The population is expected to decrease slightly for two years.
Ad campaigns to combat misinformation about how to apply for asylum could be helpful, says University of Ottawa law professor and immigration expert Jamie Chai Yun Liew.
“On the other hand, if they say, ‘You’re not welcome’ … it seems to go against the old Canadian way,” she said. “They have changed their messages.”
