- For the record, Canada has been a safe haven for those seeking asylum since World War II.
Trudeau is going the distance to make refugees feel comfortable, while Trump, the real estate moghul, is going out of his way to make them feel insecure in the country next door, which calls itself a superpower.
The Canadian PM is a charmer for a humanitarian cause, unlike the US Republican frontrunner for president. who has confirmed himself to be a rabble-rouser, who will do anything to suit his political agenda. Canada will receive 35,000 Syrian refugees by next year, which will include 25,000 by next February. The 163 Syrians on the plane were the first batch to land on Canada's shores under a migrant intake plan. The US, on the other hand, is expected to receive only 20,000 refugees.
"First of all, thank you for being here. And thank you for the gorgeous smiles I see. This is a wonderful night where we get to show not just a planeload of new Canadians what Canada is all about, we get to show the world how to open our hearts and welcome in people who are fleeing extraordinarily difficult situations,'' said Trudeau.
But the Canadian premier realises there's hard work ahead as these Syrians integrate into a diverse Canadian society. The government of the day is responsible for the welfare of all, particularly those crying out for help. Through this gesture, Trudeau has sent out a message that Canadians are not defined by language, religion or skin colour. Human aspirations, hopes and dreams are shared, they are universal, is the message he has conveyed to the world.
A far cry form the American real estate baron, who simply distanced himself from the pain and sufferings of people in Syria. He didn't deem it fit to utter a kind word, or attempt a thoughtful deed. Instead, he played the religion card to further his political interests by saying Muslims should be banned from entering the country temporarily. This was in response to a shooting in California by a couple with alleged links to Daesh.
For the record, Canada has been a safe haven for those seeking asylum since World War II. The country has been quick to resettle refugees fleeing persecution and war. More than 5,000 people from Kosovo were airlifted in the late 1990s. During Idi Amin's rule in the 1970s, it welcomed 5,000 migrants from Uganda. In the late seventies, it became home to 60,000 Vietnamese. Like the US, it is also a country of immigrants, and has become home to 1.2 million people fleeing conflict since the second great war.
So what Trudeau is doing is what any Canadian leader would have done under the circumstances. It is a tradition in hospitality others must emulate. Trump the builder and developer can learn from the younger man, who is helping people rebuild their lives in Canada.
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