Canada offers temporary home to those stranded by Trump travel ban
Mr Trudeau said immigrants would be welcome in Canada, in a post on Twitter. (AFP)
The Canadian immigration ministry has announced it will offer temporary residence to people stranded in the country as a result of US President Donald Trump's travel ban.
Immigration Minister Ahmed Hussen did not detail how many people were blocked in Canada as a result of the ban, which saw refugees and citizens of seven Muslim majority countries barred from entry to the US.
He said the Trump administration had assured Ottawa that Canadians holding dual nationality with those countries would not be affected.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau posted on Twitter to welcome immigrants to Canada, striking a sharp contrast with Trump's sweeping executive order restricting immigration the previous day.
"To those fleeing persecution, terror & war, Canadians will welcome you, regardless of your faith. Diversity is our strength #WelcomeToCanada," Mr Trudeau wrote.
Mr Trump suspended the arrival of refugees to the United States for at least 120 days, with those from Syria barred indefinitely.
He also blocked entry of people from Iran, Iraq, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, Syria and Yemen for the next three months.
According to the latest Canadian census, from 2011, one out of five people in the country are foreign-born.
Canada has welcomed more than 39,670 Syrian refugees between November 2015 and the beginning of this January, according to government figures.
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