Prime Minister Justin Trudeau says those fleeing persecution are 'welcome to Canada'

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has welcomed immigrants and refugees fleeing terror and war to the country. The move is in sharp contrast to US President Donald Trump's order to ban all refugees and individuals from seven Muslim-majority countries.

"To those fleeing persecution, terror & war, Canadians will welcome you, regardless of your faith. Diversity is our strength #WelcomeToCanada," Trudeau said in a Twitter post on Saturday (28 January).

He also tweeted a picture of him greeting a Syrian child at Toronto airport in 2015. He oversaw the arrival of over 39,000 refugees from Syria shortly after he was elected prime minister.

A spokesperson for the Canadian leader said: "The Prime Minister [Trudeau] is looking forward to discussing the successes of Canada's immigration and refugee policy with the President [Trump] when they next speak." Trump is expected to meet Trudeau in Washington in the near future to renegotiate the North American Free Trade Agreement.

However, Canadian carrier WestJet has already complied with the immigration ban and said that it would reimburse passengers who were affected by the new US policy.

"WestJet will comply with this executive order. In the event there are foreign nationals from these countries on WestJet who are denied entry, we will be providing them with a full refund," it said in a statement.

Trudeau's tweet came a day after the US put an indefinite ban on Syrian refugees and a 90-day visa ban on people arriving from Iraq, Iran, Somalia, Sudan, Libya and Yemen.

According to reports, confusion hit airports across the world on Saturday as officials tried to interpret the new rules. Trump's order also sparked angry protests across airports in the US.