Canada and the United States are close to reaching an agreement that would allow border agents to send back to the south of the border any migrant who has recently crossed it irregularly, such as at Roxham Road, has learned. The duty.
The new agreement must thus grant the 8,900 kilometers of the common border the same status as the official crossings under the Safe Third Country Agreement. In exchange, Canada is offering its closest neighbor regular admission for 15,000 more people, confirmed to the Duty a person close to the negotiations within the Canadian government.
Under the agreement signed between the two countries in 2002, Canada can currently only return asylum seekers to the United States if they present themselves at official ports of entry. An omission allows people crossing elsewhere, such as Roxham Road, to claim asylum in Canada.
Two weeks after crossing
Under the new agreement, which must come into force “very quickly”, according to the same government source, Canada would then have the power to send back to the United States any asylum seeker who arrived irregularly through the land border , and vice versa. Anyone intercepted during the first 14 days after passing through an unauthorized location would be removed.
In Ottawa, the first confirmation came where we did not expect it: “I think this is very good news,” confirmed Health Minister Jean-Yves Duclos, pressed by questions from journalists. “I understand that there will be clarifications quickly,” also added the MP for Quebec, claiming to be aware of the content of the agreement.
The discussions have accelerated recently, according to Mr. Duclos: “A lot of things have been able to be done more quickly in the last few weeks”, in anticipation of the visit of President Biden.
Officially, the Canadian government said earlier Thursday “encouraged by the signals of the United States”. Progress has been made in the discussions, and other details are expected after the meetings on Friday, as had hinted Prime Minister Justin Trudeau on Wednesday. “We may have something to announce,” he told the parliamentary press.
Lots of expectations
As US President Joe Biden lands in Ottawa Thursday night, the pressure to come to a new deal has mounted further in recent weeks.
Our series “The Roxham Road in Questions”:
Federal Immigration Minister Sean Fraser also spoke to the media on Wednesday, insisting that the two countries believe in an orderly border, while having an “immigration policy favorable to those fleeing violence, war or persecution”.
Quebec Premier François Legault has been calling for the “closure” of Roxham Road for months. He reiterated his demands on Thursday, noting that out-of-province transfers of asylum seekers were not enough.
In 2022, 39,171 asylum seekers were intercepted at this irregular passageway, which represented two-thirds of all applications in Quebec. Claims at Roxham Road also made up 42% of the Canadian total.
The number of crossings in the opposite direction, from Canada to the United States, has also climbed in recent months. The American border patrol has recently expressed concern, claiming to have intercepted 367 people in January alone, between Quebec and Vermont. . “Despite sub-freezing temperatures, the Swanton area continues to intercept families with young children, including babies,” the patrol wrote in February.
Reminder: A criminal prosecution against Trudeau in connection with Roxham Road is stopped