Olympic Stadium in Montreal Shelters Refugees from US
Record numbers of migrants have been fleeing the United States to seek asylum in Canada. (Prior coverage here, here, here, here, and here).
In response, Canada is opening Olympic Stadium in Montreal to provide the refugees temporary shelter. Quebec, the Canadian province that’s home to Montreal, has been particularly affected by the influx of migrants, though Manitoba (my neck of the woods) and British Colombia have also seen increased migrant flows.
The goal of using the stadium is to provide stable housing for the next few months while individuals are processed.
The fate of these asylum seekers continues to be uncertain. Under the Safe Third Country Agreement between the US and Canada, claimants are, absent a recognized exception, “required to request refugee protection in the first safe country they arrive in.” Thus, having sought refuge in the U.S. initially, such petitioners should not typically be able to seek protection in Canada. This has not stopped many from trying.
For more about the flow of refugees from the US to Canada, check out this video:
-KitJ