Not all promises last long, especially not those made by politicians. Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is the latest leader to prove this. He has left asylum seekers in the lurch after initially declaring Canada would be a safe heaven for those seeking shelter in his country.

Trudeau had once tweeted, “To those fleeing persecution, terror & war, Canadians will welcome you, regardless of your faith…Diversity is our strength.” The tweet won praise across the world, more so because it came in the times of US President Donald Trump, who has taken a tough stance on immigration into the US and even sought to ban people visiting from several Muslim countries.

However, Trudeau’s promise appears to have fallen flat. He has now tried to tone down the notion that Canada is a guaranteed safe home for those fleeing deportation threats in the US, The Guardian reported today. Trudeau’s new stance comes amid the criticism his government is facing that it is giving “false hope” to thousands of asylum seekers.

Justin Trudeau’s tweet in January

Justin Trudeau’s tweet now

In a series of Tweets on Thursday, he said, “Canada is an open and welcoming society. But just as we welcome & encourage newcomers, we are also a country of laws. Canadians can be confident in our immigration system – people who cross the border in an irregular way will not be at an advantage.”

The Prime Minister further said, “I’m in Montreal today, working with the task force on irregular migration. Here’s how we’re taking action regarding asylum seekers in QC: First, we’ve established a temporary housing facility in Cornwall, ON to help ease the burden on Quebec. Second, we’re hiring more staff at the IRCC processing centre in Montreal to review & process asylum claimants faster. Third, we’re also reaching out to folks in the US to make sure people who want to come to Canada understand the proper procedures to do so.”

Reuters reported on Thursday that Canada has ramped up deportations amid growing influx of migrants from the United States. Quoting official data, it said as many as 5,529 people were already deported by Tuesday, compared to 7,357 for all of 2016.

Trudeau government has also been trying to warn people away, Reuters said.