色狐入口

The confusion surrounding U.S. President Donald Trump鈥檚 executive order banning travel to that country from citizens of seven countries continues, creating havoc at U.S. airports and disappointment at ports of entry on the Canadian border.

On Monday evening, a Syrian permanent resident of Canada was denied entry to the U.S., despite Canada鈥檚 Immigration Minister having stated just the day before that Canadian permanent residents would not be adversely affected by the order, which was signed on January 27.

Hicham, who has held Canadian permanent resident status since arriving from the Middle East聽in 2012, estimates that he has visited the U.S. around 200 times in his lifetime. The Syrian national, who asked not to be fully identified,聽states that he has entered legally on each occasion, and, until this week, he held a valid multiple-entry visitor visa for the U.S.

The 37 year-old, who arrived in Canada as an economic migrant through the and now lives in Langley, BC, says that he originally intended to visit the U.S. on Saturday, January 28. Initial reports that President Trump鈥檚 order would include Canadian dual citizens and permanent residents spoiled those plans.

On Sunday, however, Canada鈥檚 Minister of Immigration, Ahmed Hussen, held a press conference during which he stated 鈥渨e have been assured by the White House that Canadian permanent residents with a valid and a passport from those seven countries can still enter [the U.S.] as before.鈥�

And so, based on the Minister鈥檚 statement that he had received assurance from his counterparts in the U.S., Hicham聽drove to the border at Blaine, Washington.

鈥淭he visa officer asked me to wait. After an hour I asked them 鈥榗an you please explain what I am waiting for?鈥� The officer said 鈥楧idn鈥檛 you hear the news? Don鈥檛 you know about the Executive Order? You cannot enter the United States.鈥�

鈥淩ight from the beginning, when I gave them the passport, I said 鈥榟ere is my Canadian PR card as well,鈥� because I thought the card would solve the issue. Apparently, it did not,鈥� added Hicham, who says that the U.S. officials then asked for another form of identification, such as a driving license.

鈥淭hen after another thirty minutes, the fourth or fifth officer came in to me and said 鈥榳e need fingerprints鈥�, so he took all the fingerprints and I waited for another hour maybe, then I was released.

鈥淭hey didn鈥檛 allow me to drive my own car. They said 鈥榥o, we will drive your car, give me the keys鈥�. They took the car and parked it towards the Canadian border where there is no way back. They drove the car from the customs building towards the one-way exit to Canada where I could not go back. Two officers escorted me walking towards that spot.鈥�

He was denied entry after spending more than three hours at the border. He also had his visa, which had an expiry date in July, 2017, cancelled.

鈥淭hey鈥檝e cancelled my visa now. I had a visiting visa, and I visited almost every week. It is now stamped with the word cancelled.鈥�

It should be noted that Iranian, Iraqi, Libyan, Somali, Sudanese, Syrian and Yemeni citizens are barred from entering the United States for 90 days after the executive order was issued, which means the ban would end April 27.聽The fact that his visa has been cancelled only adds to the pain and confusion he now feels.

鈥淚 feel sad. I left the Middle East for this particular reason, because I don鈥檛 want to feel discriminated. This is exactly why I left my region. Yesterday I felt that back. I had a hard time sleeping.

鈥淭he visa officer was trying to explain himself and explain the rules of the country. He said 鈥榶ou know, this is our President, this is our land.鈥�

鈥淚 said 鈥榶es, I respect that this is your land and you are free to do whatever you want on your land. But I feel this has been an undignified way of telling people to go off, specifically because you have previously given me the visa and I have not done anything wrong. He said 鈥業f you come knock on my door, do I have the right to say no to you or not?鈥� I said to him 鈥榶ou have the right, but if you tell me that I am welcome to come between this time and that time, and I knock on your door and you turn me back, now this is a problem. I have not done anything wrong, and I have played by your rules, you should not turn me back.鈥欌��

For Hicham, the ordeal leaves many questions left unanswered. In all likelihood, with no visa and with no sign that Trump鈥檚 order may be overturned soon, he will have to miss an industry event he was due to attend this March in Chicago. The prospect that his work as a marketing manager in the dental supplies industry may be affected is an unforeseen reality.

There are more than 35,000 Canadians with dual citizenship from one of the seven specified countries. For instance, Immigration Minister Ahmed Hussen is himself a refugee from Somalia who obtained Canadian citizenship 15 years ago. Many more immigrants in Canada from the seven countries hold permanent resident status.

As for the divergent views coming out from U.S. officials and the government of Canada, both parties were contacted by CICNews before this story was published. U.S. Customs and Border Protection at the Office of Field Operations in Blaine, WA, were unable to comment on the order, but did direct us to a that includes the question 鈥楧oes 鈥渇rom one of the seven countries鈥� mean citizen, national or born in?鈥� For which the page states 鈥�Travelers are being treated according to the travel document they present.鈥�

Meanwhile, a representative at Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) was not able to comment further on the Minister鈥檚 statement, which was originally delivered to the press on January 29.

Canadian dual citizens and permanent residents聽from the affected countries wishing to travel to the U.S. are encouraged to , and be cognizant that they may be refused entry, despite the Minister of Immigration鈥檚 recent comments.

Persons in the U.S. affected聽by this order may explore聽Immi, a free online program that seeks to educate immigrants, people on visas, and green card holders on their legal status, as well as explain options for staying in or leaving the U.S.聽.

(Update: Since this article was first published, the government of Canada has temporary public policy for foreign nationals affected by the U.S. Executive Order. To learn more, .)

If you wish to聽know more about your Canadian immigration options, please fill out a聽.

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