Canada Ends Covid Policy Turning Back Asylum-Seekers Between Border Crossings
NDTV
Canada turned at least 544 would-be refugees back to the Unites States between March 2020 and mid-October.
Canada is ending its pandemic-era policy of turning back asylum-seekers trying to cross into the country between ports of entry, according to a revised policy document released on Sunday.
Canada turned at least 544 would-be refugees back to the Unites States between March 2020 and mid-October. The government did not immediately respond to questions regarding why it was ending the policy now and what if any quarantine rules would apply to asylum-seekers who are not vaccinated.
Canada had said the measure was necessary given health concerns during the coronavirus pandemic. But refugee advocates argued attempts to claim asylum should not be considered "discretionary travel" and pointed to class exemptions Canada made during the pandemic for professional athletes, among others.
"It's a relief to see the measures for refugees align more with our international obligations, and I think it's been clear all along that public health and refugee protection could coexist," said Maureen Silcoff, a refugee lawyer and past president of the Canadian Association of Refugee Lawyers, which took the government to court over the policy.
