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Canada Sees Influx of Haitian Asylum Seekers Fleeing the U.S.

HeadlineAug 04, 2017

In Canada, the government of Quebec says it’s processing as many as 150 migrants a day as they cross into Canada from northern New York state seeking friendlier immigration laws. The influx has led authorities to set up hundreds of cots at a temporary welcome center at Montreal’s Olympic Stadium. Among those who recently crossed to Canada was Haitian asylee Marie-Claude Celestin.

Marie-Claude Celestin: “I found that Canada is—was the best option for me and my family. You guys understand humanitarian, unlike in the United States. You treat people as human beings.”

Most of those seeking asylum in Canada are Haitians who took refuge in the U.S. after a devastating earthquake in 2010. The Trump administration has threatened to remove protected status for Haitians, which could affect up to 58,000 people.

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