A pact with the United States to control the flow of asylum seekers across the shared border is constitutional, Canada’s highest courtruled in a unanimous decision Friday.
The Safe Third Country Agreement, which came into effect in 2004, recognizes Canada and the U.S. as safe places for potential refugees to seek protection.
Under the agreement, refugees must seek asylum in the first of the two countries they land in. If their claim is rejected by one then they will not be successful if they try again on the other side of the border.
Opponents of the treaty had asked the top court to declare the legislation underpinning the pact violates the right to life, liberty and security of the person, saying the U.S. is not actually safe for many asylum seekers….