In March 2022, Trudeau made a secret deal with the US to expand the Safe Third Country Agreement (STCA). However, the deal was only made public in March 2023 and came into effect almost immediately.

The STCA is based on the premise that both Canada and the US are "safe" countries and asylum-seekers should make their refugee claim in the first of the countries they arrive in. Many agree that the US is not a safe country for refugees. In addition, there is an ongoing legal battle in Canada over the constitutionality of the STCA with a final decision pending by the Supreme Court.

Under the STCA, asylum-seekers who wanted to make a refugee claim in Canada at an official port of entry along the Canada-US border were not permitted to do so. The STCA did not apply at unofficial border crossings like Roxham Road in Quebec, until now. The STCA has now been expanded to the entire Canada-US border.

This move will force asylum-seekers to take even more dangerous routes to seek safety in Canada. As we have already witnessed, the failure to provide asylum-seekers and migrants with safe avenues to cross the border has deadly consequences.

These are the names of some of the people who have died while attempting to cross the Canada-US border irregularly: The Iordache and Chaudhary family. Fritznel Richard. Mavis Otuleye.

Call on Minister of Immigration Sean Fraser to end to the Canada-US Safe Third Country Agreement (STCA), so that asylum-seekers do not have to risk their lives to make a refugee claim in Canada:

sean.fraser@parl.gc.ca / (613) 992-6022

If you want to organize with us against the STCA, contact us at noii.hfx (at) gmail.com