Immigration minister Ahmed Hussen offers help to people stuck in the country thanks to the ban, though it is unclear how many people are affected

This article is more than 3 years old

This article is more than 3 years old

Canada will offer temporary residence to those left stranded in the country by Donald Trump’s restrictions targeting seven Muslim-majority countries.

The decision was announced by Ahmed Hussen, Canada’s immigration minister, on Sunday. Hussen said it was unclear how many people would be eligible, given that only a handful of passengers heading to the US had been denied boarding at that point.

“Let me assure those who may be stranded in Canada that I will use my authority as minister to provide them with temporary residency if they need it,” said Hussen, who was born in Somalia and came to Canada as a teenage refugee.

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The Canadian government said it had been assured by Michael Flynn, Trump’s national security adviser, that Canadian citizens and dual citizens travelling on a Canadian passport would not be affected by the ban.

Despite the chaos and uncertainty sparked by Trump’s travel ban in recent days, the Canadian government, led by Justin Trudeau, has refrained from directly criticising the order.

Many analysts point to politics to explain Trudeau’s hesitation – 75% of Canada’s exports head south of the border and officials in the country are preparing for Trump’s promise to renegotiate the Nafta trade deal. So far, senior advisers in the Trump team have suggested Canada will not be a target in the trade negotiations, leaving Canadian officials scrambling to contain any potential collateral damage.

Trudeau instead posted a series of tweets highlighting the stark difference between the position espoused by the Canadian and American governments. “To those fleeing persecution, terror & war, Canadians will welcome you, regardless of your faith. Diversity is our strength #WelcomeToCanada,” Trudeau tweeted on Saturday.

Justin Trudeau (@JustinTrudeau) To those fleeing persecution, terror & war, Canadians will welcome you, regardless of your faith. Diversity is our strength #WelcomeToCanada

It was followed by another tweet of a picture of him greeting a Syrian child at the Toronto airport in 2015, one of nearly 40,000 Syrian refugees who have arrived in Canada in the past year and a half.

In recent days, calls have been growing for Trudeau to do more to back his words with concrete actions, with more than 33,000 people signing an online petition urging Canada to open its doors to those facing deportation under Trump’s presidency.

The announcement of temporary residence for travellers stranded in Canada came on Sunday afternoon, just hours before a gunman walked into a Québec city mosque and opened fire, killing six people and injuring more than a dozen others. On Tuesday, two people remained in critical condition.

Alexandre Bissonnette, a 27-year-old university student, has been charged with six counts of first-degree murder and five charges of attempted murder.

The act was swiftly denounced by Canadian politicians of all stripes. “Make no mistake, this was a terrorist attack. This was a group of innocents targeted for practising their faith,” said Trudeau. “To the more than one million Canadians who profess the Muslim faith, I want to say directly, we are with you. Thirty-six million hearts are breaking with yours.”

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It was a contrast to the United States, where the Trump administration pointed to the attack on a Muslim place of worship to defend the travel ban from seven predominantly Muslim countries.

After telling reporters that President Trump had phoned Trudeau to offer the condolences and prayers of Americans, his press secretary, Sean Spicer, glossed over the fact that all six victims were Muslim men, allegedly killed by a young man described by friends as being pro-Trump, anti-immigration and far right.

“It’s a terrible reminder of why we must remain vigilant,” Spicer said of the attack. Alluding to Trump’s travel ban, he added: “And why the president is taking steps to be proactive, not reactive.”