Canadian PM Justin Trudeau: We Will ‘Return Irregular Border Crosses to the Closest Port of Entry with the United States’

(CNSNews.com) – Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced Friday that Canada will apply the Safe Third Country agreement to asylum seekers, which requires refugees to seek asylum in the first safe country they arrive in, unless they qualify for an exception.

“We will continue to work together as partners. We’ll also continue to work together as partners and keep our people safe. Keeping people safe also includes keeping asylum seekers safe, keeping our borders secure and keeping our immigration system strong,” Trudeau said in a joint press conference with President Biden.

“Both of our countries believe in fair and safe, fair and orderly migration, refugee protection and border security. This is why we will now apply the Safe Third Country Agreement to asylum seekers that cross between official points of entry,” the prime minister announced.

“After midnight tonight, police and border officers will enforce the agreement and return irregular border crossers to the closest port of entry with the United States. When the agreement comes in to force as of midnight tonight, officers will return people crossing the border to the closest Canada-U.S. border crossing,” he said.

“Our teams have worked hard to achieve this agreement. All of the work will make it possible to deter irregular immigration at our borders while at the same time we increase regular migration and immigration,” Trudeau added.

According to the Canadian government website, “Individuals entering Canada across the land border with the US are subject to the expanded application announced on March 24, 2023, and will be returned to the US unless they meet one of the relevant exceptions under the STCA.”

“On March 24, 2023, Canada and the United States announced the expansion of the STCA across the entire land border, including internal waterways. The expansion takes effect as of 12:01 a.m. EDT on March 25, 2023. If you crossed the border to make an asylum (refugee) claim and don’t meet one of the Agreement’s exceptions, you’ll be returned to the U.S.”

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