The Tuesday news briefing: An at-a-glance survey of some top stories
Highlights from the news file for Tuesday, Aug. 22
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BORDER CROSSING TASK FORCE SET TO MEET: The federal-provincial task force charged with managing an unprecedented flow of asylum seekers over the Canada-U.S.. border will meet Wednesday in Montreal to review next steps in handling the surge. While officials said this week that the number of those crossing into Quebec has declined to about 140 a day from 250 a day last week, the federal government continues to ramp up its ability to process their claims for refugee status — and to be ready for a potential new spike in arrivals. More than 6,000 people have crossed illegally into Quebec from New York since July, the vast majority Haitians. They’re believed to be fleeing an announcement by the U.S. government that it is considering lifting temporary protected status for Haitian nationals, meaning thousands could end up deported back to Haiti. But they’re not the only group facing that policy change: temporary protected status for citizens from nine other countries is set to expire in the coming months and there’s no guarantee the U.S. will renew it. Immigration Minister Ahmed Hussen says he’s aware citizens from those countries could very well be seeking to tread the same rocky paths over the Canada-U.S. border as Haitians continue to do.
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