Justin Trudeau on Canada: We are subject to same kinds of tensions that so much of the world is facing

(AP)

Justin Trudeau agrees Canada is a “special” place, but he is keen to remind people that it still has its own set of problems.

Images of the Canadian Prime Minister welcoming Syrian refugees immortalised Canada, in the minds of many, as a safe haven in such a volatile and increasingly divided global landscape.

Mr Trudeau agrees the country has become a beacon of hope for many, but he is also encouraging a more realistic view of Canada to the world.

“I think there’s a lot of people saying ‘oh well, Canada is a special place,’ and we are,” Mr Trudeau told The Guardian. “But we are subject to the same kinds of tensions and forces that so much of the world is facing right now.”

Mr Trudeau’s policies have sat absolutely juxtaposed next to the anti-immigration, anti-refugee and anti-Muslim policies posited by Donald Trump, so much so that Canada’s immigration site crashed as soon as it became clear Mr Trump’s announcement as the President-elect was imminent.

But those rushing to emigrate suddenly found they may have been doing so in haste when Mr Trudeau then congratulated Mr Trump on his victory in a warm, lengthy statement. Other world leaders were more reserved in their responses, such as French President Francois Hollande, who warned Mr Trump's election marked “a period of uncertainty”.