National
Immigration Minister Ahmed Hussen defends Canada signing onto UN migration pact
OTTAWA — Canada is committed to signing onto the United Nations pact on migration, Immigration Minister Ahmed Hussen says, despite angry protest from right-wing political activists both here and abroad.
Speaking from Marrakech, Morocco on Friday, where a UN summit on migration is to kick off next week, Hussen said the Global Compact on Migration is an important agreement that will set out, for the first time, an official international framework for countries to work together on the causes and impacts of migration.
For Canada, one of the key benefits will be an opportunity to work with source countries of irregular asylum seekers, who have been crossing into Canada via non-official entry points by the tens of thousands over the last two years.
Canada will have a more official way, through the compact, to address the problems that cause migrants to leave their countries for Canada, Hussen said.
“People talk about how we should approach irregular migration — one of the ways to do that is to work with other countries,” Hussen said. “One of the things that we do is work with partner countries to assist them with job creation and skills-development programs that enables source countries for migrants, like Morocco, to ensure a better future for their people here so that they don’t have to take risky journeys for migration and engage in irregular migration.”
But despite two years of work at the UN level and consensus reached after six rounds of negotiation on the final text, a movement of protest against the agreement has grown in Europe over the last year, leading several European countries to quit the compact.
Australia, Israel, Hungary, Austria, Croatia, Italy, Bulgaria and the Czech Republic have said they will not support it. Poland and Estonia also may not sign and Belgium’s coalition government is so divided over it, the question of whether to sign the pact is threatening to topple its government.
The United States will also not sign the compact.
In Canada, opposition to the agreement first appeared on the controversial news website Rebel Media. It called the compact a means to normalize mass migration and silence media critics. Recently, many of these same arguments have been taken up by Conservative Party Leader Andrew Scheer and Conservative immigration critic Michelle Rempel. Scheer held a press conference earlier this week to say he strongly opposes the pact, on the grounds that it would give foreign entities influence over Canada’s immigration system. Rempel has argued the agreement would be legally binding on Canada and would therefore pose a threat to Canadian sovereignty.
These arguments mirror those being circulated in Europe, and are “completely erroneous and fundamentally misunderstand the nature of international relations and international law,” said Craig Damian Smith, associate director of the Global Migration Lab at the Munk School of Global Affairs and Public Policy at the University of Toronto.
“What they’re doing is they’re importing this xenophobic political rhetoric from openly illiberal political parties in Europe, and the reason is, it sells domestically and they think they can hammer the Liberals with it,” Smith said. “That’s the completely unvarnished truth about what’s going on with this discourse in Canada.”
He stressed there is nothing in the compact that is legally binding, nor would the agreement somehow cause more migrants to cross into Canada or destroy Canada’s sovereignty.
The Global Compact on Migration was born after the 2015-16 refugee crisis, when UN member states realized that, unlike flows of goods and services or capital across borders, no international regime covers migration. It’s an issue that tends to become politically polarizing when large flows of migrants begin to move, which is why a formalized agreement was sought, Smith explained.
“The idea is, the international community needs to start building a global governance regime for migration because only through co-operation do you get the positive dividends of well-managed and safe international migration. That’s the goal.”
Hussen did not mince words in his assessment of Conservative opposition to the compact. He pointed to a report released Thursday by the Commons committee on Immigration that studied the agreement, including expert testimony and submissions, and ultimately recommended Canada sign on.
“They’re peddling in a conspiracy theory that’s beneath a mainstream political party that has access to evidence, that has access to testimony from experts who have clearly said this agreement is not a threat to Canadian sovereignty, it will not erase our border,” Hussen said.
“They’ve chosen to take this position because they’re losing supporters to the People’s Party of Canada and they feel this is what they need to do to win support from people who support the People’s Party of Canada,” he added, referring to the new party created by ex-Conservative MP Maxime Bernier.
Bernier has indeed spoken out against the migration compact, and was scheduled to speak at a rally in Ottawa Saturday to protest Canada’s signing the agreement. The rally is also scheduled to include a number of far-right, anti-Muslim and neo-Nazi groups, according to an article published by the Canadian Anti-Hate Network.
A staffer who works with Bernier told The Canadian Press on Friday that Bernier was aware the Ottawa rally could involve the extremist groups, and was still planning to attend. Later in the day, the staffer said Bernier decided not to attend after “verifying claims about the extent of these groups being present or involved in the demonstration.”
— Follow @ReporterTeresa on Twitter
Teresa Wright, The Canadian Press
RCMP Const. Rick O’Brien poses in this undated RCMP handout photo. The 51-year-old officer was shot and killed and two other officers were injured while executing a search warrant in Coquitlam, B.C., on Friday, Sept. 22, 2023, while a suspect was shot and is in hospital with non-life-threatening injuries. THE CANADIAN PRESS/HO, RCMP
By Nono Shen in Coquitlam
The death of another Mountie in British Columbia less than a year after the last killing “enrages” the lead officer in the province.
RCMP Deputy Commissioner Dwayne McDonald said Const. Rick O’Brien, 51, was shot dead and two other officers were injured on Friday as they tried to execute a search warrant in Coquitlam, B.C.
A suspect in his 20s was also shot and is in hospital with non-life-threatening injuries.
O’Brien, who had a wife and children, was decorated for bravery in the rescue of victims during a home invasion within months of joining the RCMP in 2016.
“This is an extremely difficult and tragic day for our members,” McDonald said Friday. “Const. O’Brien led by example. He had a great sense of humour. He was well respected by his peers and he was loved in his community.”
He said O’Brien was part of a team from Ridge Meadows RCMP that had been serving a search warrant at a home in the neighbouring community of Coquitlam.
McDonald said O’Brien died at the scene. One injured officer is in hospital with non-life-threatening injuries, he said, while the other suffered minor injuries and was discharged.
While McDonald didn’t reveal details about the investigation, he said it was a long-term probe.
A procession of RCMP vehicles led an ambulance carrying O’Brien’s body from Coquitlam to Abbotsford later Friday.
O’Brien’s death comes just 11 months after the death of RCMP Const. Shaelyn Yang, who was stabbed to death while accompanying a Burnaby, B.C., city worker to a homeless campsite.
McDonald said the past year had been a tragic one for police departments across Canada.
“It hurts. It really hurts. I’m outraged,” he said. “To see police officers across this country killed trying to protect their communities enrages me.”
Policing was a second career for O’Brien, who worked with at-risk youth before joining the RCMP. His entire career was spent at the Ridge Meadows detachment.
Supt. Wendy Mehat, the officer in charge of Ridge Meadows, said speaking about the impact of O’Brien’s death was the most difficult moment of her career.
“Rick’s contribution to his work, and his fellow team members at this detachment was immeasurable. Rick loved visiting schools and helping students, doing presentations, supporting our detachment (with) food drives and sport events,” she said.
“He was truly exceptional, a hard worker and a good human being. His death is senseless and heartbreaking.” Mehat said.
McDonald said O’Brien’s death seemed to speak to an issue he and his colleagues across the country have been talking about.
“Perhaps painting police in a certain light … sometimes seems to encourage people to resist authority and disrespect the profession of policing and, quite honestly, fight the police,” he said.
“I’m not commenting on this particular instance. But I will say that this is a stark reminder that the police are here to help you.”
The Independent Investigations Office said in a statement that the officers went to a home in the Metro Vancouver city on Friday.
“While there, the attending officers became engaged in an altercation with a man which resulted in multiple officers being injured and the man being shot,” the statement said.
“Emergency Health Services transported all injured to hospital, but one of the officers who was shot succumbed to their injuries.”
Carley Hodges, a witness in the busy area of city, described a chaotic scene, with an officer receiving CPR as he was put in an ambulance, another officer with a wound on his leg and a tourniquet above it, and a man in handcuffs.
Hodges said there were “tons of police cars, ambulances and fire trucks coming in.”
Mehat said O’Brien’s death was “senseless and heartbreaking.”
“He simply went to work today, and he was killed, doing his duty and keeping his community safe. The hours, weeks and months ahead will be difficult to our communities and Maple Ridge, Pitt Meadows, Coquitlam and across the country.”
B.C. Solicitor General Mike Farnworth said he was shocked and saddened to learn of O’Brien’s death.
“All three officers are shining examples of the extraordinary individuals who chose to take on the challenging mantle of protecting the public.
“I have spoken to the local mayors, and we all agree that the death of an officer is a stark reminder of the dangers police face to keep us safe. They put their lives on the line every day to fulfil their oath to protect our communities.”
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau sent his condolences to O’Brien’s family, friends and colleagues on social media.
“And to the officers who were injured: I’m wishing you a fast and full recovery.”
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 22, 2023.
This is a corrected story. A previous version said police were trying to serve an arrest warrant.
Tamara Lich arrives for her trial at the courthouse in Ottawa, on Tuesday, Sept. 19, 2023. Lich and fellow Freedom Convoy organizer Chris Barber are charged with mischief, obstructing police, counselling others to commit mischief and intimidation. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Justin Tang
The trial of “Freedom Convoy” organizers Tamara Lich and Chris Barber has begun a scheduled break that will continue until after Thanksgiving.
The court finished hearing the testimony of Serge Arpin, the chief of staff to Ottawa’s former mayor, on Friday.
He spoke about how the city responded to the protest that overwhelmed the downtown core for three weeks in early 2022.
Arpin also testified about his interactions with convoy organizers while working out a deal with former mayor Jim Watson to move big-rig trucks out of residential neighbourhoods.
The evidence was originally due to be wrapping up by this point in the trial, which had been scheduled to last 16 days, but Arpin is just the fourth witness to finish his testimony.
The trial was expected to hear from 22 witnesses, leaving the court to ponder how much more time will be needed to reach the finish line.
Justice Heather Perkins-McVey, who is overseeing the trial, has identified several dates in October and November.
Lawrence Greenspon, the lawyer representing Lich, said he does not want to set new court dates until the Crown has established a new, more accurate time estimate for its case.
As of Friday, the trial is expected to resume Oct. 11.
Lich and Barber are charged with mischief and counselling others commit offences such as mischief and intimidation for their role in organizing and prolonging the demonstration.
The defence questioned Arpin Friday about how city council and staff attempted to put an end the protest. As the mayor’s chief of staff, Arpin told the court he sat in on every council meeting.
He was grilled about a bylaw change on Feb. 9 last year that banned idling in a vehicle unless the temperature fell at or below -15 C. The bylaw originally allowed idling if the temperature was below 5 C.
“City council … was attempting to freeze out the truckers and their families,” Greenspon told the court.
Arpin said he believed the intention was to bring the demonstration to an end.
Arpin was also involved in the deal between Watson, Lich and other organizers to move trucks out of residential neighbourhoods and onto Wellington Street, in front of Parliament Hill.
He texted back and forth with the convoy organizers’ lawyer Keith Wilson on Feb. 14 and 15 in an exchange that was filed as evidence in the trial.
The texts suggest city staff did not give protest organizers or their lawyers a heads-up about plans to file a court injunction against demonstrators who violated city bylaws.
“Just so you know, it is highly irregular for the city’s lawyers to have done this without providing us lawyers here with notice,” Wilson wrote to Arpin on Feb. 15.
“This could change everything.”
Arpin told Wilson he was under the impression they knew about the court filing, but said in court that he never informed them himself until after the injunction was granted by a judge.
Lawyers representing the convoy organizers were not given an opportunity to oppose the application in court at the time.
The deal between Lich and the mayor fell apart later that day when police would no longer allow trucks to move closer to Parliament.
Arpin confirmed the police service underwent a change in command that day as a result of the police chief’s resignation.
He apologized to Wilson at the time, the text messages show.
“Our goal has always been de-escalation and I know you share this goal,” he texted to Wilson on the 16th.
The Crown hopes to pick up its case in October with eight local witnesses from Ottawa who lived or worked downtown during the Freedom Convoy protest.
Lich and Barber have already admitted that there was mischief taking place in the protest zone.
Greenspon has argued that the testimony of those witnesses would be akin to victim impact statements, and therefore shouldn’t be allowed to be heard during the trial.
P
Trajectory for ‘Freedom Convoy’ organizers’ trial uncertain as third week begins
Hunter Biden sues the IRS over tax disclosures after agent testimony
As leaders convene, the UN pushes toward its crucial global goals. But progress is lagging
How Online Casinos Outsmart Their Competitors
-
Bruce Dowbiggin2 days agoIf You Don’t Hear From Me, It’s Because I Don’t Hear From You.
-
Business2 days ago
Alberta deserves more than half CPP assets if it exits program: report
-
COVID-192 days agoEmergency manager to take the stand for third day at ‘Freedom Convoy’ trial
-
Red Deer2 days agoThe Red Deer Polytechnic Alumni Association is inviting you to Palate: A Taste of Local
-
Alberta2 days agoAlberta set to release report on whether to ditch CPP for provincial pension plan
-
Alberta1 day agoAlberta to debate Canada Pension Plan, says it deserves half of fund if it leaves
-
Red Deer1 day agoNew Chiefs logo for Red Deer Minor Hockey designed with guidance of indigenous leaders
-
conflict1 day agoPoland is done sending arms to Ukraine, Polish leader says as trade dispute escalates