(Ottawa) Conservative leader Pierre Poilievre is once again an ally of François Legault on the issue of Roxham Road, which he has called for to be closed “within 30 days”.
“The Conservative Party claims that within 30 days, Justin Trudeau finds a way to close Roxham Road and use the resources it saves to proceed with the legitimate refugee applications that are pending at this time”, he summoned at a press conference in Ottawa on Tuesday.
How would Roxham Road be closed? The Conservative leader did not offer details.
He also does not consider it “necessary” to suspend the Safe Third Country Agreement that binds Canada to the United States, or to withdraw from it unilaterally.
“We are trying to complicate things too much”, he insisted in the foyer of the House of Commons, accusing a journalist who underlined the character “ [d’avoir] wrong” to say that the Canadian government was bound by this bilateral pact.
“It was possible to close the passage during COVID-19. It was possible, ”insisted Pierre Poilievre.
Another Legault offensive
The leader of the official opposition made this exit in the wake of the publication of an open letter signed by François Legault on the site of the English-language daily The Globe and Mailtitled “It’s time to close the Roxham Road breach and uphold Canada’s borders”.
He again alludes to a tweet posted by Justin Trudeau in 2017, when the Prime Minister wrote to “all those fleeing persecution, terror and war” that Canada would be a welcoming land for them, in the wake of the adoption of the migration decree by Donald Trump south of the border.
“It was generous of Mr. Trudeau, and we have reason to be proud of our record in welcoming refugees […]but his good intentions have become a real problem for Quebec and Canada,” wrote Premier Legault in his missive.
The day before, he had sent a letter to Justin Trudeau, making comments of the same nature, but above all, demanding that all asylum seekers who arrive in Canada by Roxham Road be redirected elsewhere in the country.
Last year, a record number of 39,171 asylum seekers were intercepted at Roxham Road, an unofficial entry point located in Saint-Bernard-de-Lacolle, in Montérégie.
Ottawa acknowledges ‘tremendous pressure’
On Monday, the office of federal Immigration Minister Sean Fraser admitted that Quebec was under “tremendous pressure”, but that the federal government had transferred “thousands” of asylum seekers to Ontario since June, and would be looking for new temporary accommodation elsewhere.
Pressure is mounting on Justin Trudeau to find a solution through the renegotiation of the Safe Third Country Agreement, especially since US President Joe Biden is expected on an official visit to Canada in next March.
“Joe Biden is not to blame”, only Justin Trudeau is, argued Pierre Poilievre.
“It’s not up to him [le président Biden] solve the problem,” he said.
With Caroline Plante, The Canadian Press