Community advocates say they鈥檙e concerned about misinformation spreading among the Haitian refugees flocking from the U.S. to Montreal, where many have been falsely led to believe that finding asylum will be 鈥渆asy.鈥�
Hundreds of these refugees have already taken up temporary residence in and around the city鈥檚 Olympic Stadium, while they await processing as refugee claimants from Haiti and, more recently, Donald Trump鈥檚 United States. But members of Montreal鈥檚 existing Haitian community say the new arrivals are chasing false hope fuelled by incorrect information on social media.
鈥淚 saw a lot of people telling them that it is very easy to come here,鈥� Marjorie Villefranche, of Maison D鈥橦aiti, told CTV Montreal. 鈥淵ou just cross the border and you are safe and everything will be alright for you.鈥�
But Villefranche and others point out that鈥檚 simply not the case.
鈥淭hey are safe, this is true, but everything will not be alright because they have to go through a process.鈥�
Immigration lawyer Richard Neil Goldman says there鈥檚 no guarantee that refugee claimants who arrive in Canada will be allowed to stay.
鈥淐oming to Canada 鈥� putting your feet inside the border 鈥� gives you the right to be heard. To tell your story,鈥� Goldman said. 鈥淚t doesn鈥檛 necessarily mean your story will be accepted.鈥�
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau insisted last week that Canada has the capacity to process an influx of refugees. But that doesn鈥檛 mean they鈥檒l all be allowed to remain in the country. Historically, roughly half of all refugee claimants are turned away, although that number could be different, depending on the perceived danger of sending them back to the U.S.
In the meantime, Montrealers are being urged to help the newcomers during their stay, as they send their children to school, and seek basic healthcare while they wait to be processed.
Villefranche says the border-crossers are just looking for a better life, and are not here to simply take advantage of Canada鈥檚 social programs.
鈥淲hen you leave everything and you arrive here with a suitcase, you must be desperate,鈥� she said.
鈥淚t鈥檚 not to their advantage to take advantage of the system,鈥� added Montreal radio host Vladimir Gelin, in a French-language interview with CTV Montreal. 鈥淲hat they want is to work and support their families as fast as possible.鈥�
Refugee claims in Quebec have surged in recent weeks, from 50 up to 150 a day.
The surge in Haitian refugees has been blamed on U.S. President Donald Trump鈥檚 threat to end a program that granted them 鈥渢emporary protected status鈥� following the Haitain earthquake in 2010.
With files from CTV Montreal
