A prominent historian and head of a Quebec-based activist group has launched a private criminal indictment against Prime Minister Justin Trudeau. Prime Minister Trudeau says he violated the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act by encouraging refugees to enter Canada. Influx of illegal immigrants.
Frédéric Bastien, chairman of the Quebec Judiciary Commission, said the prime minister’s past statements had led many asylum seekers to enter Canada illegally through the Wroxham Road border crossing Quebec and New York. said.
In a legal document posted on the Justice pour le Quebec website, the group points out: 2017 Twitter Post Prime Minister Trudeau said, “Canadian people welcome those fleeing persecution, terrorism and war, regardless of your faith. Diversity is our strength.” It came after Trump issued a temporary travel ban on seven Muslim-majority countries, halting all entry of Syrian refugees.
Documents cited at that time article As published by Radio-Canada on December 17, 2021: [Roxham Road]” Since 2017.
The Quebec group also cited the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act, which states in Article 117:[no] A person organizes or directs the entry into Canada of one or more persons with knowledge or recklessness that entry into Canada violates or may violate this Act; shall assist or abide; “
In Canada, individuals have the right Commence a private lawsuit against another person. A person applying for prosecution by a court, known as an “informant,” must have reasonable grounds to believe that the person they are accusing has committed a crime or violated a privately prosecutable Canadian law. there is. Applications must be examined by a magistrate.
in an interview with national postBastian said he believed there were reasonable grounds for initiating prosecutions, and if the prosecutions were successful, the prime minister could be fined or imprisoned.
Apart from Trudeau’s 2017 tweet, Bastian also pointed out that recent Trudeau commentThis suggests that closing the irregular intersection of Wroxham Road would not stop the arrival of asylum seekers, migrants simply “crossing elsewhere”.
He said the prime minister is “not an ordinary citizen” expressing personal opinions. Instead, Trudeau’s public proclamation had real results, such as encouraging people to cross to Canada unofficially on the Wroxham Road.
Illegal crossing surge
The recent death of a Montrealer allegedly trying to cross to the United States has brought attention to the dangers of irregular border crossings that appear to be increasing on both sides of the Canadian-US border.
A man identified as 44-year-old Fritznel Richard was trying to contact his family in the United States, Quebec police said. – Found in the forest area of Bernard-de-Lacolle.
Wroxham Road’s irregular border crossing has been used by asylum seekers to circumvent safe third country agreements that have prevented Canada from accepting asylum claims from those who first entered the United States.
Between January and November 2022, the RCMP intercepted approximately 34,800 people attempting to cross from the United States to Canada at unofficial ports of entry. By contrast, the total number of interceptions in 2021, when Wroxham Road was closed due to the COVID-19 pandemic, was 4,246, according to the Canadian Department of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship.
so Recent reportsThe Journal de Montreal has compiled data showing that a record 150,000 asylum seekers have entered Canada since Prime Minister Trudeau’s tweet in 2017. Of that number, 91,000 entered from his Roxham Road.
Majority of Quebecers want Wroxham Road closed, according to 2022 survey leger voteThis indicates that 60% of respondents are in favor of the government stopping asylum seekers from crossing at irregular points.
A poll commissioned by Bastien’s organization yielded similar results, reporting to the National Post that 68% of Quebec citizens strongly or somewhat agree with the position.
“I think people are actually very frustrated because this process bypasses the law,” Bastien said. “There is actually a way to immigrate to Canada. If you are a refugee and want to seek refugee status in Canada, there are some laws and regulations in this country.”
“What’s happening now is basically that the government is helping people break the rules to get around the law,” he added. People are getting more and more frustrated.”
Canadian Press contributed to this report.
Andrew Chen is a reporter for the Epoch Times based in Toronto.