Monsurat
The influx of asylum seekers entering Canada from the United States along a dirt path are becoming a political breaking point once again as the government of Quebec says it can no longer accommodate the growing numbers, says Reuters.
As per the report, the movement of asylum seekers into Quebec from New York has increased since the covid-19 restrictions were lifted in Canada in late 2021, a trend mirroring global displacement.
Over 39,000 refugees arrived in Canada last year, via unofficial crossings, with a large amount of them entering via Roxham Road linking Quebec and New York. Last year, the number of refugees increased to more than double, compared to 2017, when the Roxham road made global headlines.
This year, close to 5,000 more people seeking asylum crossed into Canada, the highest since the government began breaking down data in 2017. The 2017 spike was partly due to the then US President, Donald Trump’s crack down on migrants.
According to Reuters, Canada is a signatory to the International Refugee Convention under which Canada must adjudicate most refugee claims with limited exceptions. The Canadian law has exceptions to who can have access refugee protection within the country.
Quebec Premier Francois Legault has asked Prime Minister Justin Trudeau to redirect the asylum seekers to other provinces and promptly issue their work permits as the province has reached its limit in refugee protection.
Legault also urged Canada to rewrite the Safe Third Country Agreement (STCA). The government said they are in the process of rewriting the agreement to ensure they can turn back asylum seekers caught not just at formal crossings, but along the border.
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