Americans Threaten to Move to Canada if US Takes in Syrian Refugees

In the wake of last week's deadly terrorist attacks in Paris, more than half of US governors have said they will not allow any more Syrian refugees to resettle in their states. Officials have expressed worry of Islamic State militants slipping in with refugees and setting foot on US soil.

On Thursday, the Republican-controlled House of Representatives passed a bill that would permit refugees from Syria and Iraq to enter the United States only with personal approval from three top national security officials.

The measure now moves to the Senate, where Democrats have vowed to block it.

The bill passed in defiance of a veto threat by President Barack Obama, who has said he remains committed to his plan to welcome 10,000 refugees to the United States in 2016.

Disgruntled with Obama's plan, Islamophobic Americans have taken to Twitter to threaten to move to Canada, where newly elected Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said he wants to settle 25,000 Syrian refugees by the end of 2015.

If Trudeau can follow through – even refugee advocates have doubts – that means 15,000 more refugees will enter Canada in the next six weeks than will enter the United States in the next 13.5 months.

But some Americans apparently are in the dark about Trudeau's plan.

Some Canadians felt compelled to break the bad news to their southern neighbors.

And other Americans announced their intention to move to Canada because it is accepting refugees, among other policies.