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Thursday, March 28, 2024

US and Canada Reach Deal to Stop Asylum Seekers at Unofficial Crossings 

Biden and Trudeau talked about a number of economic, trade, and immigration problems

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Sadaf Hasan
Sadaf Hasan
Aspiring reporter covering trending topics

UNITED STATES/CANADA: A deal has been made between the US and Canada to prevent asylum seekers from crossing the international border through unauthorized points of entry, according to reports.

At the US-Canada border’s Roxham Road, a significant number of refugees have been entering the country illegally.

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The action closes a gap left by a 2004 asylum deal with the US regarding the location of asylum claims made by migrants. It stopped Canada from turning away individuals attempting to enter at unauthorized crossing sites.

As a part of the agreement, Canada will now establish a new refugee program for 15,000 migrants fleeing violence and persecution in South and Central America, unidentified US officials told US based news outlet.

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U.S. President Joe Biden is in Ottawa, Canada, for 24 hours to speak with Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau about a number of economic, trade, and immigration problems.

Before he leaves for the US on Friday, the migration agreement is expected to be revealed. The deal is expected to allow authorities on both sides of the boundary to turn away such asylum seekers traveling in either direction.

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The ruling has also led to an increase in migrants entering the US from Canada. The action is a part of attempts to control a migrant influx at Roxham Road, an unofficial border crossing between the states of New York and Quebec.

The agreement amends the two parties’ Safe Third Country Agreement from 2004, which mandates that migrants file for asylum in the first “safe” nation they arrive in, whether that be the US or Canada.

The new agreement would close a gap in the Safe Third Country Agreement that prohibited Canada from turning away people who crossed the border at unofficial crossing points.

The gap had allowed immigrants from places like Roxham Road to access Canada. Last month, New York City officials said that they were giving away free bus passes to help migrants to travel towards the US border with Canada.

The new border agreement between the US and Canada has reportedly been in negotiations for months. Given the nation’s own migrant problem at the US-Mexico border, it was stated that US officials did not want to rework the agreement.

Biden’s administration has also suggested that once COVID border controls are lifted in May, it will be tougher for migrants to make an asylum claim at the southern US border with Mexico. The plan has drawn criticism from human rights organizations.

The new US-Canada deal could go into effect right away because the US Congress’s approval is not required.

Trudeau has asserted that renegotiating the Safe Third Country Agreement is the only way to stop unauthorized border crossings at Roxham Road.

Also Read: Canada Launches Probe into Chinese Election Interference Charges

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