CIJ News, November 17, 2015

Canada’s Prime Minister, Justin Trudeau, dismisses the idea of defining a country based on national identity and believes that the migration and immigration will shape the new evolving world.

Global News posted a short clip from Trudeau’s interview during the G-20 conference in Turkey. Asked about his position regarding the refugee crisis, Trudeau said the following:

Canada figured out a long time ago that differences should be a source of strength, not a source of weakness and the more we can do to bring in diverse perspectives, diverse points of view, and indeed to define a country not based on a national identity or ethnicity or language or background, but on values shared by all people in our country, values of openness, respect, compassion, a willingness to work hard, the desire to be there for each other. It is truly how countries in this globalized world where migration and immigration is going to be the norm rather than the exception. This is a lesson that we all need to learn.

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