Asylum seekers need to follow immigration rules: Trudeau

Justin Trudeau says Canada is a “compassionate country” but will continue enforcing its immigration laws. The prime minister made the remark as Hondurans lost temporary protected status in the U.S. and may come north for refuge.(May 4, 2017) SOUNDBITE: Justin Trudeau, prime minister PLACELINE: Cambridge, Ont. CREDIT: The Canadian Press STORYLINE:The federal government is planning to build temporary housing for up to 520 people at a Quebec border crossing that has seen an influx of asylum seekers. The move comes as tens of thousands of Hondurans lost temporary protected immigration status in the United States. There are concerns some of them they may look northward for refuge. Public Works and the Canada Border Services Agency say in a notice that the housing units are for Saint-Bernard-de-Lacolle — the municipality where the majority of RCMP interceptions of irregular migrants in Quebec take place. The Opposition says the Liberal government is effectively setting up a refugee camp at the Canada-U.S. border. "I'm not sure any Canadian would think that this is an acceptable response," Conservative immigration critic Michelle Rempel said Friday. Rempel said there is a frustrating lack of information from the government about the makeup and needs of asylum seekers: "How can I say how much money they should be needing when we don't even know what their needs are? And that is the result of having no plan for immigration. It's bananas."