Canada Launches Campaign on Asylum Difficulties

Canada is launching a C$250,000 global online ad campaign warning asylum-seekers that claiming asylum is challenging, marking a significant shift in the government's tone towards immigration under Prime Minister Justin Trudeau. The advertisements, which will run through March in 11 languages, aim to combat misinformation about the asylum process and highlight strict eligibility guidelines. This campaign reflects growing concerns among Canadians about high housing prices attributed to immigration, despite expert opinions suggesting that such views are overly simplistic. With a backlog of 260,000 refugee cases, the government is also working to expedite claims deemed unlikely to succeed. Immigration officials emphasize the importance of understanding the risks of working with unauthorized representatives in the asylum process. Overall, these steps signal a tightening of Canada’s previously welcoming stance towards refugees.