Canada’s Trudeau welcomes refugees; US-bound passengers turned away

OTTAWA  : Prime Minister Justin Trudeau welcomed those fleeing war and persecution on Saturday even as Canadian airlines said they would turn back US-bound passengers to comply with an immigration ban on people from seven Muslim-majority countries. In pointed tweets a day after US President Donald Trump put a four-month hold on allowing refugees into the United States and temporarily barred travellers from the seven countries, Trudeau said refugees were welcome in Canada. “To those fleeing persecution, terror & war, Canadians will welcome you, regardless of your faith. Diversity is our strength #WelcomeToCanada,” Trudeau said on Twitter. A second tweet, also timed to coincide with outrage over Trump’s immigration policy, included a 2015 photo of Trudeau welcoming a Syrian refugee at a Canadian airport. Confusion abounded at airports around the world on Saturday as officials tried to interpret the new US rules. Trudeau’s office said US authorities had confirmed Canadian passport holders, including dual citizens from the seven countries, would not be affected. Trudeau has walked a fine line with the Trump administration, avoiding direct criticism while promoting the progressive policies of his one-year-old Liberal government.