The reintroduction of U.S. President Donald Trump’s travel bans for citizens of several Arab and Muslim majority countries, has reignited fears among some Arab Canadians.
“I’m one of those affected by these decisions,” said an Egyptian Canadian man in Mississauga who spoke to OMNI News.
“The U.S. is close; we used to go on vacation. Before the new policies, I went once without a problem. But now, we avoid it. You hear too many stories of people being detained at the border or having their phones searched.”
Others feel the community is split between fear and resilience.
“Some people are afraid and don’t want to go,” said an Iraqi Canadian girl. “But others are still traveling, and some even want to move to the U.S.”
Many agree that there has been increased tension at the border following the latest travel ban.
Toronto-based licensed immigration consultant Rana Ayyash said there is added pressure among Arab Canadians travelling to the U.S.
“Technically, U.S. and Canadian laws don’t restrict Canadian citizens from traveling,” said Ayyash.
“But in practice, Canadians of Arab descent, especially from the countries targeted by the travel ban, some of them are Arab countries, often face discrimination, extra scrutiny, and security checks at the border.”
“Because of that, many Arab Canadians are now afraid to return to visit their home countries. Some even meet their families in neutral European countries just to avoid that kind of pressure or profiling.”
Ayyash added changes to asylum processing at the U.S. border and other immigration programs have also added to the tense situation at Canada’s borders.
“Trump’s government canceled an entire program that had made it easier to apply for asylum in the U.S. In January 2025, he replaced it with a new system under Customs and Border Protection, designed to encourage and speed up deportations,” said Ayyash.
“That decision put enormous pressure on Canada, which responded with tighter security measures and started limiting the number of people it could take in just to manage the cases it already had. Many refugee claimants who can’t apply for asylum in the U.S. are now coming to Canada through unofficial crossings. It puts them at risk, and it also strains Canada’s immigration system, affecting other immigration streams.”
