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Canada launches global advertising campaign in 11 languages
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Campaign aims to combat misinformation about asylum procedures
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Canada has 260,000 asylum seekers, indicating possibility of early rejection
Written by Anna Mailer Paperny
TORONTO – Canada, which once billed itself as one of the world’s most welcoming countries to refugees and immigrants, is launching a global online advertising campaign warning asylum seekers that their claims will be difficult. The C$250,000 ad will run until March in 11 languages, including Spanish, Urdu, Ukrainian, Hindi and Tamil, the Immigration Department told Reuters. They are part of a broader policy shift by Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s unpopular government in its efforts to crack down on immigration and asylum seekers. Immigration has been blamed for rising home prices, but some experts say this is a simplistic explanation, and polls show that Canadians think Canada is taking in too many new immigrants. The number of people is increasing.
The four-month campaign is budgeted for one-third of the total spend on similar ads over the past seven years.
The department says search queries such as “how to apply for asylum in Canada” or “Canadian refugees” will result in sponsored content titled “Canada’s asylum system – asylum facts.”
“Applying for asylum in Canada is not easy. There are strict guidelines for eligibility. Find out what you need to know before making this life-changing decision,” one ad reads. are. Canada has long been considered a welcoming place for newcomers. Its leaders are now trying to curtail immigration, evict temporary residents and block asylum claims by people fleeing President-elect Donald Trump.
“Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada is committed to combating the spread of misinformation and disinformation about Canada’s immigration system and highlighting the risks of working with unauthorized representatives,” a ministry spokesperson said in an email. We are working on it.”
Background to the Refugee Case It may be an uphill battle. Canada’s refugee system faces a backlog of 260,000 cases as the number of displaced people increases worldwide. The government has little control over who applies for asylum. The country’s immigration minister has signaled a fast-track application with a low chance of success. The government expects millions to leave the country on their own once their visas expire, and immigration ministers have threatened to deport them if they don’t.
This is a dramatic change of direction for a government that has been welcoming for years. In January 2017, when President Trump was inaugurated, Prime Minister Trudeau tweeted, “To those fleeing persecution, terrorism and war, Canadians of all faiths and no faiths will welcome you. Our diversity is our strength.” #WelcomeToCanada,” he tweeted. Almost eight years later, on November 17, Prime Minister Trudeau released a video touting his government’s immigration policies, slamming “bad actors” who have “used our immigration system to their own advantage.” did. Last month, the Liberal government, which is trailing in public opinion polls, announced it would cut permanent and temporary immigration. The population is projected to decline slightly over the next two years.
Jamie Chai Yun Liu, a law professor and immigration expert at the University of Ottawa, said an advertising campaign to counter misinformation about how to apply for asylum could be helpful.
“On the other hand, if they’re saying ‘they’re not welcome’…that seems contrary to Canada’s approach to date,” she says. “They switched messages.”
This article was generated from an automated news agency feed without modifications to the text.
