News
There’s No Free Ticket” – Canada Warns Nigerian Asylum Seekers Crossing From USA
The Canadian government said it’s working with U.S. visa officials in Nigeria to mitigate the surge of migrants coming to the United States seeking a safe haven in neighboring Canada.
There’s a growing number of Nigerian asylum seekers who legally travel to the United States on a visa and stay for a brief time before attempting to cross the border into Canada, according to the Canadian government. In response, three Canadian officials have been stationed to work with U.S. visa officials in the Nigerian city of Lagos to “combat abuse of U.S. travel documents,” the government announced in a press release Monday.
“Coming across the border in a way that seeks to circumvent our procedures is no free ticket to Canada,” Canada’s Minister of Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness Ralph Goodale said in a statement. “We will continue to ensure an orderly managed border, including the compassionate treatment of those who genuinely need Canada’s protection. And we will continue to work with the United States to deter the misuse of travel documents that has helped drive the influx.”
Canada’s Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Ahmed Hussen will also travel to the West African nation this month to meet with Nigerian officials about the issue.
“Our government’s priority first and foremost is to ensure that all laws are followed to protect the safety and security of Canadians,” Hussen said in a statement.
The U.S. Embassy and Consulate in Nigeria did not respond to ABC News’ request for comment Wednesday.
More than 25,000 asylum seekers were apprehended by the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, mostly in Quebec, as they crossed “irregularly” into Canada from the United States between the ports of entry from January 2017 through March of this year. The influx of irregular border-crossers appears to be on the rise, and there’s concern the number will soar as the weather warms up.
The number of asylum seekers apprehended by the national police force in the first three months of this year was more than double the amount in the same period last year. And last year, the number intercepted at the border more than tripled in July and August, according to figures from the Canadian government.
Many of the asylum seekers crossing into Canada last year were Haitians who feared they would lose their temporary protected status (TPS) in the United States, after President Donald Trump’s administration announced it will end the program for Haitian immigrants by July 2019.
So far this year, most of the asylum seekers crossing into Canada by land have been Nigerian citizens, the Canada Border Services Agency confirmed to ABC News.
“Nigerians do not want to settle in the U.S. but in Canada. It is much easier for a citizen of Nigeria to obtain a tourist visa for the U.S. than for Canada,” Stephane Handfield, an immigration lawyer in Montreal, told ABC News in French. “So they get a U.S. tourist visa, stay a few days in the U.S. and cross the Canadian border.”
Handfield said it’s also easier for asylum seekers to obtain refugee status in Canada than in the United States.
Nigerians are fleeing their home country for a number of reasons, such as poverty, persecution and violent conflict, including Boko Haram’s years-long insurgency. The Nigeria-based jihadist group, which seeks to establish an Islamic state, has killed more than 20,000 people and displaced some 2.3 million since 2009, according to the latest figures from the United Nations.
“When people are fleeing persecution, whether they’re in Nigeria or elsewhere, they will take whatever method and route is available to them,” John Cockell, spokesman for the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees in Canada, told ABC News. “International humanitarian law recognizes this and that’s why asylum seekers are not penalized for entering a country using irregular means, as many choose to do in the case of Canada.”
“We feel [Canadian] authorities have actually done a very good job with managing the increased numbers,” Cockell added.
The Canadian government said it will build new facilities for short-term accommodations at a popular border crossing into the province of Quebec from New York state. Canadian officials will also fast-track work permits for asylum seekers, so they can financially support themselves and their families while they wait to see if their claim for protection is granted.
“While we adhere to international conventions and want to offer asylum to those fleeing persecution and war, the fact remains that there are very specific laws, rules and criteria to be respected in order to find refuge in our country,” Canada’s Minister of Transport Marc Garneau said in a statement.
ABC News
Governor Uba Sani of Kaduna State has lauded President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for what he described as transformative efforts that have led to a significant reduction in poverty across Northern Nigeria, particularly in the North-West region.
Speaking on the impact of federal government interventions under the current administration, Governor Sani noted that prior to President Tinubu’s tenure, poverty levels in the region were alarmingly high, with estimates ranging between 65 and 70 percent.
“Over the last two years, President Tinubu has initiated key reforms and strategic interventions that go far beyond short-term relief measures,” the governor stated. “We are not merely referring to palliatives — we are talking about deep, structural support that addresses the root causes of poverty.”
Governor Sani emphasized that no administration in recent memory has committed as robustly to agricultural development as that of President Tinubu. He highlighted various initiatives, including extensive fertilizer distribution, financial assistance to smallholder farmers, and large-scale monetary support allocated without political bias.
“These initiatives have not only boosted agricultural productivity but have also contributed to job creation, improved rural infrastructure, and the overall reduction of poverty in many communities,” he added.
The governor concluded by asserting that these targeted interventions are laying the groundwork for sustainable economic growth and social inclusion, especially in underserved and rural areas.
The Evangelical Church Winning All (ECWA) has disclosed that it has spent more than N300 million to secure the release of kidnapped members, with negotiations ongoing for the release of around 50 others, according to a report by The Nation.
The church revealed that its members in Kaduna and Plateau States have become prime targets for kidnappers. In a press briefing held in Jos, ECWA General Secretary, Rev. Ayuba Asheshe, expressed deep concern over the growing wave of violence affecting the church community.
Asheshe highlighted the alarming rise in banditry, kidnappings, and militia attacks, calling for urgent and coordinated action from the government and relevant stakeholders to address the crisis.
He pointed to the Kwassam DCC in Kauru Local Government Area of Kaduna State as one of the hardest-hit areas, where persistent attacks have claimed more than 20 lives. Despite paying over N300 million in ransoms, he said, more than 50 people are still being held captive — a situation that has placed a heavy financial and emotional burden on the church and affected families, many of whom have lost their means of livelihood.
He also noted that the Binawa LCC of ECWA Saminaka DCC in Lere Local Government Area of Kaduna State has experienced similar attacks in recent weeks.
Former Governor of Rivers State, Nyesom Wike, has called on the leadership of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to be transparent with Nigerians regarding the zoning of its presidential ticket ahead of the 2027 general elections.
Speaking on the party’s internal crisis and past decisions, Wike criticized the PDP for allegedly abandoning its established tradition of power rotation between the North and South. He recalled that in 2023, despite the understanding that once a particular region produces the party chairman, the other should produce the presidential candidate, some leaders chose to manipulate the process for selfish reasons.
“They refused to zone the presidency and allowed aspirants from the same region to emerge as both party chairman and presidential candidate,” he said. “We warned them then that ignoring zoning would have consequences, but they dismissed it with arrogance.”
Wike further questioned the party’s current stance as it heads into its national convention. He alleged that there are attempts to zone the party chairmanship to the South again, which, he believes, would be a strategic move to deny the South the presidential ticket in 2027.
“Why not come out now and declare that the South will produce the 2027 presidential candidate, especially since the South currently holds the national presidency?” he queried. “This continued game of political trickery will only lead to another disaster for the party.”
He urged PDP leaders to abandon what he described as political “smartness” and embrace openness and fairness. “Let Nigerians know where the party stands now. Don’t wait until it backfires again and start pointing fingers. I’m saying it clearly — I won’t support this kind of manipulation,” Wike warned.
-
News1 year agoHardship: We Plan To Establish A National Commodity Board To Crash Food Prices – VP Shettima
-
News7 years ago
Blog Reader; Samson Osagiede Celebrates Fiancè Benedicta Daniels’s Birthday With Sweet Words
-
Home9 years ago
News Channel claims Donald Trump is an orphan from Pakistan,share alleged childhood photo
-
Home9 years ago
Another $175m Found in Patience Jonathan’s wife’s firm’s Bank Account
-
Home8 years ago
Oil Spillage: House of Reps Member Shares Photos of the Water her Constituents Drink .
-
Home8 years ago
Zara Buhari & Ahmed Indimi’s Wedding Access Card
-
News7 years ago
The Best Video You’ve Seen Today?
-
Sport7 years agoModric, Marta Wins 2018 FIFA Best Player Of The Year Awards ⚽️