There is something deeply disturbing in seeing the City of New York offering free bus tickets to migrants to leave their metropolis, among other things to go to Plattsburgh, from where they have access to the Roxham Road to enter Canada.
It is not known how many one-way tickets have been funded. It is nevertheless a fine example of the New York authorities’ disempowerment – at our expense.
But perhaps this is also the best way to show the American president how urgent it is to renegotiate the Safe Third Country Agreement. The one that allows Canada to turn back migrants from the United States … unless they cross the border irregularly.
Because Joe Biden, who will be welcomed in Ottawa shortly, has already deplored the kind of approach used by New York. It did so last year, when some states run by Republican governors (like Texas) began ferrying migrants by bus and plane to other states (like New York). “Instead of working with us on solutions, the Republicans are playing politics with human beings,” denounced the president.
Ottawa wants to review the Safe Third Country Agreement. And Quebec is putting pressure on Ottawa to get it resolved quickly. Politically, of course, Joe Biden has nothing to gain. Nevertheless, he is now in a position to understand that, to avoid further abuses, he would do better to work with Ottawa “on solutions”.