Simply closing the Roxham Road border crossing in Quebec will lead to a surge in irregular crossings elsewhere in Canada, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau says.
He made the comments to reporters in Richmond Hill, Ont., Wednesday, amid calls from the opposition and Quebec`s provincial government to quickly close the crossing due to a rising influx of migrants entering there irregularly.
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Trudeau said the only way to “effectively” close the crossing — which sits on the border of Quebec and New York state — is to renegotiate the Safe Third Country Agreement with the United States.
“The only way to effectively shut down not just Roxham Road, but the entire border to these irregular crossings, is to renegotiate the Safe Third Country Agreement, which is serious work that we are doing as a government right now,” he said.
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“We`re making real progress, but until we manage to do that, we need to continue to support our immigration system. Quebec in particular has been instrumental in accommodating those who flee in search of a better life or who cross the border irregularly, and we will continue to be there for Quebec.”
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Atlantic Province Offers to Help Quebec with Wroxham Road Asylum Seekers
Conservative Party leader Pierre Polivre on Tuesday urged the federal government to close the Wroxham Road border crossing within 30 days. Poirivre accused Trudeau of causing waves of immigration, of promoting irregular crossings of the Wroxham Road, and of failing to meet the backlog of asylum claims.
The Conservative leader also said Prime Minister Trudeau had already shown that he could close the Wroxham Road during the COVID-19 pandemic without violating the Safe Third Country Agreement with the United States, urging the government to encouraged to do so. The entire Canadian-US border was closed during this time.
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The Safe Third Country Agreement requires that asylum seekers arriving in Canada or the United States apply in the country of their first arrival, and prohibits them from first arriving in one country and then applying in another. increase. However, immigrants who cross the line of civil service posts are already on Canadian soil and can apply for asylum after being detained by the police.
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Quebec directs Ottawa to slow the flow of asylum seekers on her road to Wroxham
Prime Minister Trudeau said “simple solutions” would not adequately address the problem.
“If Pierre Polivre wanted to build a wall on Wroxham Road, someone could. The problem is that there is his 6,000-kilometer unguarded common border with the United States. I would choose to go places,” he said.
“People can toss out simplistic solutions, that`s their right. But if someone wants to seriously solve the problem, you`re going to have to roll up your sleeves and do the work as we are doing.”
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Poilievre`s comments came as Quebec Premier Francois Legault this week called on Trudeau to make the Roxham Road crossings a top priority for next month`s meeting with U.S. President Joe Biden, and to renegotiate the agreement.
He reportedly told Trudeau in a letter on Sunday that the pact has pushed asylum seekers to Roxham Road, and that a renegotiated treaty should apply to all entry points.
On Tuesday, the Globe and Mail published an English-language letter by Legault in which he said the number of would-be asylum seekers entering Quebec “has exploded,” pushing Quebec`s social services to their limits. The premier also pitched other provinces to take in some of those migrants. The open letter included Legault’s letter to Trudeau, expressing concern that the influx of immigrants was threatening Montreal’s French language and demanding more funds to cover the cost of caring for asylum seekers. was not included.
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Asylum seekers: Quebec premier urges other provinces to close Wroxham Road
According to federal statistics, more than 39,000 people sought asylum after being intercepted by the RCMP crossing the Canadian border into Quebec in 2022, compared with just 369 elsewhere. Overall, about 64% of all asylum applications filed in Canada in 2022 were made in Quebec.
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Last year’s numbers have risen sharply since 4,095 immigrants were blocked at Quebec’s southern border in 2021.
Poilievre did not provide details on how to address the immigration backlog, which currently has more than 910,000 applications, but he has received funds from Roxham Road police to strengthen the legal immigration system. He said it could be repurposed, which would reduce waiting times.
Immigration Commissioner Sean Fraser told Global News that the proposal to close Wroxham Road within 30 days “does not solve the problem without presenting a plan to address the consequences.” He said it would only encourage more erratic border crossings elsewhere. Fraser acknowledged that Quebec was facing “massive pressure” and said Ottawa had moved thousands of migrants elsewhere in Canada since last June.
A spokesman for Mr Fraser’s office clarified that so far these transfers have been directed to Ontario, but a “pan-Canadian” approach is underway. The minister also encouraged those wishing to enter Canada to consider other methods of entry.
– Using files from Sean Boynton and The Canadian Press
© 2023 Global News, a division of Corus Entertainment Inc.
