Montreal's new mayor argues Safe Third Country Agreement needs to be revisited
Montreal's incoming mayor wants Canada to take another look at the Safe Third Country Agreement as authorities prepare for another wave of asylum seekers who have been flooding into Canada illegally from the United States.
"We need to review that for sure," Valerie Plante told The House.
"If you want to come into a country, you should go through the official border agency, the right way. I do not think the way it's going on right now makes sense."
The Safe Third Country Agreement requires asylum seekers to apply for refugee status in the first country they arrive in, either Canada or the United States.
But a loophole in the agreement, which requires the asylum applications at official points of entry into the country, has led to thousands of migrants crossing outside of legal entry points.
Concerns that more asylum seekers will try to enter Canada illegally have grown after U.S. President Donald Trump hinted last week that his administration would end temporary protected status, which allows refugees to stay in the U.S. while their home countries recover from disasters, for refugees from countries including Honduras and Nicaragua.
"We know there's gonna be another wave, there's gonna be more people coming in... there has to be a better way to manage that," said Plante, who takes over the mayor's office on Wednesday.
Plante noted that although she didn't discuss the issue in her first conversation with Prime Minister Justin Trudeau just after she was elected, illegal border crossings into Canada will certainly be on the agenda the next time she sits down with him.
Montreal's new mayor argues Safe Third Country Agreement needs to be revisited - Home | The House | CBC Radio
Montreal's incoming mayor wants Canada to take another look at the Safe Third Country Agreement as authorities prepare for another wave of asylum seekers who have been flooding into Canada illegally from the United States.
"We need to review that for sure," Valerie Plante told The House.
"If you want to come into a country, you should go through the official border agency, the right way. I do not think the way it's going on right now makes sense."
The Safe Third Country Agreement requires asylum seekers to apply for refugee status in the first country they arrive in, either Canada or the United States.
But a loophole in the agreement, which requires the asylum applications at official points of entry into the country, has led to thousands of migrants crossing outside of legal entry points.
Concerns that more asylum seekers will try to enter Canada illegally have grown after U.S. President Donald Trump hinted last week that his administration would end temporary protected status, which allows refugees to stay in the U.S. while their home countries recover from disasters, for refugees from countries including Honduras and Nicaragua.
"We know there's gonna be another wave, there's gonna be more people coming in... there has to be a better way to manage that," said Plante, who takes over the mayor's office on Wednesday.
Plante noted that although she didn't discuss the issue in her first conversation with Prime Minister Justin Trudeau just after she was elected, illegal border crossings into Canada will certainly be on the agenda the next time she sits down with him.
Montreal's new mayor argues Safe Third Country Agreement needs to be revisited - Home | The House | CBC Radio
