Despite Canada and the United States announcing details of the new Safe Third Country Agreement on March 24 during U.S. President Joe Biden’s trip to Ottawa, the details of the agreement were initialed nearly one year ago, according to U.S. government documents.
As of March 25, asylum-seekers at unofficial border crossing points between the two countries will be turned back. This comes after years of illegal immigrants making unsanctioned crossings at places such as Roxham Road, a border entry between New York state and the province of Quebec, in order to make asylum claims.
During Biden’s visit to Ottawa on March 23 and 24, changes were announced to the Safe Third Country Agreement (STCA), a bilateral treaty that came into effect in 2004. The treaty requires that illegal immigrants make their refugee claim in the first country they arrive in….