The Prime Minister of Canada, Justin Trudeau, has suggested that the visit of the American president to Ottawa this week could unblock the thorny file of the Agreement on safe third countries, source of irregular crossings at Roxham Road.
“We have been working closely with the Americans for several months to restore the situation on Roxham Road and look at the Safe Third Country Agreement. We will continue our work and then we may have something to announce, ”said the Liberal leader at the entrance to the weekly meeting with his caucus on Wednesday.
Under an agreement with the United States, Canada has since 2004 returned asylum seekers who cross the land border through regular ports of entry. An omission in the Safe Third Country Agreement, however, allows people who cross the border elsewhere, such as Roxham Road in southern Quebec, to claim asylum in the country.
The renegotiation of this agreement is now on the short list of subjects that the Canadian Prime Minister wants to discuss with Joe Biden. The US president is expected in Ottawa on Thursday and Friday. In particular, he must meet the Prime Minister one-on-one and make a speech in the House of Commons.
The leader of the official opposition in Ottawa, Pierre Poilievre, indicated on Wednesday that “closing Roxham Road” was one of the three things his party expects from the Trudeau-Biden meeting, alongside a Canadian exception. At Buy American Act and the end of tariffs on Canadian lumber.
The Conservative leader wants the Roxham case to be settled this week, regardless of negotiations with the US government. However, it does not specify how to go about it.
“It’s really Justin Trudeau who has the ability to close Roxham Road […] and as prime minister I would take responsibility for our own borders and end the mass illegal immigration we see now,” Poilievre repeated Wednesday.
Immigration Minister Sean Fraser recalled that he recently traveled to Washington to try to settle the file, but said that there was still work to be done “for a time to come”. The Minister indicates that the negotiations with his counterpart also relate to “the broader problem of irregular immigration”, such as the need to trace “regular paths” for the most vulnerable people who want to come to Canada.
Asked whether Canada could make a commitment to the United States to relieve it of some of the asylum seekers who enter this country through its southern border, Justin Trudeau remained evasive.
“Canada has always been a country that is there to welcome people around the world. We welcome 425,000 people this year, we welcome tens of thousands, around 60, 70,000 refugees a year, we are always ready to do more, but what we must ensure is that this immigration is done regular way. »
Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Minister Sean Fraser is due to answer more questions from the media on Wednesday.
More details will follow.