During a tense moment at a Saskatchewan town hall Thursday night, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau hushed boos and emphasized the government鈥檚 immigration policy.

A man at the University of Regina event, the second town hall of the week, claimed his family has been in the area for generations and spoke of 鈥渢yranny coming down on us鈥� on the world stage. He added that Christianity and Islam 鈥渄on鈥檛 mix,鈥� a comment that garnered boos from the crowd as the man asked about what he described as an 鈥渙pen border.鈥�

鈥淲hat are we doing about that thing in particular? An open border,鈥� the man said.

鈥淚t鈥檚 not an open-border policy. We鈥檙e not an open country,鈥� Trudeau responded, stressing that the 鈥渞ule of law鈥� is applied by officials to all immigrants whether they arrive regularly by airport or cross the border from the U.S. illegally.

The exchange began with the man describing 鈥渢yranny鈥� in Europe. 鈥淲e鈥檝e got an open border allowing this stuff to come in freely,鈥� he said. 鈥淵ou鈥檙e talking about my freedom and everybody鈥檚 lives who gave here. Everybody who put their life down on the line and you鈥檙e saying 鈥楨h, it鈥檚 OK, it won鈥檛 happen to us.鈥� It鈥檚 happening in France and it鈥檚 happening all over.鈥�

鈥淪orry, sir, what鈥檚 happening?鈥� Trudeau asked.

鈥淭he people are saying no,鈥� the man said. 鈥淭hese two cultures will not mix.鈥�

鈥淲hich two cultures are those, sir?鈥� Trudeau asked.

鈥淚slam and Christianity,鈥� the man answered.

When members of the audience booed the remark, Trudeau called for respect and described a Canada that was 鈥渂uilt by immigration鈥� and continues to benefit from it.

鈥淲e have a population that is aging. We need people to arrive with their talents, with their hopes, with their dreams, with their capacities to work hard, to build our communities, to build our future,鈥� he said. 鈥淚mmigration is an economic benefit to Canadians. It makes our communities more resilient. It makes our country stronger and it will continue to.鈥�

Statistics Canada hate crime research released in November reported a sharp increase in , with incidents involving Muslims more than doubling between 2016 and 2017. Jews were the most targeted group, representing 18 per cent of all reported hate crimes nationally, according to the data.

Research generally supports Trudeau鈥檚 town hall statement as some reports have found that immigration leads to economic growth and less crime. StatCan data for Toronto in 2006 found that 鈥渉igh-immigration neighbourhoods generally have .鈥� A 2018 report from the said that a no-immigration policy would result in 鈥渨eak economic growth and fiscal strain.鈥�