Roxham Road: Immigration rights advocates concerned about new deal
Advocates are voicing concerns about a deal between Canada and the U.S. to end an immigration loophole allowing migrants to claim asylum when they cross unofficial borders like Roxham Road.
As of midnight, both countries are closing the loophole, which since 2004 has allowed thousands to claim asylum in Canada.
It's a move that worries refugee and immigration rights advocate Rivka Augenfeld.
"Roxham Road is one of the safest places (to cross)," said Augenfeld. "There is a road. It's not far from the Lacolle border crossing. People are not in danger when they come that way."
Under the Safe Third Country Agreement, Canada and the United States recognize each other as safe. Potential refugees, therefore, must file their claims in the first country they reach. But that agreement only applies to claims made at official border crossings.
Refugee claimants are instead choosing to enter Canada at irregular crossings such as Roxham Road, allowing many to make their claims on Canadian soil and stay in the country.
The deal is changing that, extending the agreement along the 8,900 kilometres of the shared border. Asylum seekers instead would be turned back at irregular border crossings and returned to the U.S.
A crackdown on Roxham will only push people elsewhere, said Augenfeld.
"If someone is really desperate, they will do what they have to do, but it becomes more dangerous," she said.
The Safe Third Country Agreement is the subject of a constitutional challenge at the Supreme Court of Canada.
Immigration advocates argue that the United States can't be counted on to carry out Canada's obligations to refugees under international law.
"This is a global phenomenon. Migrants will keep coming, so what are we going to do?" said refugee advocate Marjorie Villefranche from Maison d'Haiti.
Some migrants coming to Canada from the U.S. will have a tougher time south of the border, said Augenfeld.
"People with gender claims have a problem. Women who have severe issues with gender violence and no protection in their country have had real problems in the United States. The Americans detain people in very bad conditions," she said.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
'They needed people inside Air Canada:' Police announce arrests in Pearson gold heist
Police say one former and one current employee of Air Canada are among the nine suspects that are facing charges in connection with the gold heist at Pearson International Airport last year.
Why drivers in Eastern Canada could see big gas price spikes, and other Canadians won't
Drivers in Eastern Canada face a big increase in gas prices because of various factors, especially the higher cost of the summer blend, industry analysts say.
Customers disappointed after email listing $60K Tim Hortons prize sent in error
Several Tim Horton’s customers are feeling great disappointment after being told by the company that an email stating they won a boat worth nearly $60,000 was sent in error.
Toronto Raptors player Jontay Porter banned from NBA
Toronto Raptors player Jontay Porter has been handed a lifetime ban from The National Basketball Association (NBA) following an investigation which found he disclosed confidential information to sports bettors, the league says.
As GC Strategies partner is admonished by MPs, RCMP confirms search warrant executed
The RCMP confirmed Wednesday it had executed a search warrant at an address registered to GC Strategies. This development comes as MPs are enacting an extraordinary, rarely used parliamentary power, summoning one of its contractors to appear before the House of Commons to be admonished publicly for failing to answer questions related to the ArriveCan app.
Woman who pressured boyfriend to kill his ex in 2000s granted absences from prison
A woman who pressured her boyfriend into killing his teenage ex more than a decade ago will be allowed to leave prison for weeks at a time.
Attempt to have murder charge quashed against alleged serial killer dismissed by judge
A motion filed by the man accused of killing four Indigenous women in Winnipeg to have one of those murder charges quashed has been dismissed by the judge – weeks before the start of his trial.
Government proposes new policy for federally regulated employees to disconnect from work
In their 2024 budget, the federal government wants to amend the Canada Labour Code, so employers in federally regulated sectors will eliminate work-related communication with employees outside of scheduled hours. If implemented, this would affect roughly 500,000 across the country.
Earthquake jolts southern Japan
An earthquake with a preliminary magnitude of 6.4 hit southern Japan late on Wednesday, said the Japan Meteorological Agency, without issuing a tsunami warning.