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SHERBROOKE — As the flow of people seeking asylum at the border continues, Premier Philippe Couillard has felt it necessary to clarify there is no guarantee people trying to get into Canada will be accepted.

Without naming Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Montreal Mayor Denis Coderre directly for saying on Twitter refugees can count on Canada creating the impression the doors are wide open, Couillard said he felt the need to correct certain perceptions.

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“Yes, we are a society with a compassionate, welcoming tradition that we are proud of, but we are also a society that believes in the rule of law and fairness,” Couillard told reporters Saturday.

“This (obtaining asylum status) is very demanding, and difficult and success is far from guaranteed.”

Earlier, on his personal Facebook page, Couillard went further.

“It is unfortunate that vulnerable persons have allowed themselves to be convinced that their admission as refugees to Canada and with us in Quebec would be simple, even automatic,” Couillard wrote. “It is not the case.”

He goes on to say all requests for asylum will be treated in the usual way and under the same strict rules as before. Those who already applied for immigrant status will not be penalized.

Over the past few weeks, word has spread on social media it’s easy to get into Canada when, in reality, the statistics show only about half of the people who apply for asylum will be accepted. Of the 412 refugee claims made by Haitians and finalized in 2016, 207 were accepted.

Two tweets in particular spread like wildfire. On Jan. 28, Trudeau tweeted: “To those fleeing persecution, terror and war, Canadians will welcome you, regardless of your faith. Diversity is our strength. #WelcomeToCanada.”