Roxham Road is now closed. Advocates call the move ‘rushed,’ ‘inhumane’
Global News
The border rule change went into effect late Friday, closing the small and unofficial crossing where tens of thousands of asylum seekers have entered Canada in the past few years.
The closure of the Roxham Road crossing at the Canada-U.S. border was “rushed” and will only further endanger the lives of asylum seekers, immigration advocates say.
The border rule change went into effect at 12:01 a.m. Eastern on Saturday, closing the small and unofficial crossing separating Quebec and New York, where tens of thousands of asylum seekers have entered Canada irregularly in the past few years.
The deal was announced just hours earlier on Friday during U.S. President Joe Biden’s visit to Ottawa. It was described as a “supplement” to the 2004 treaty known as the Safe Third Country Agreement. Under the treaty, both Canada and the U.S. recognize each other as “safe” countries for asylum claimants, meaning individuals must make their claim at the first official border crossing they come to in either country. But that only applies to official crossing points, and crossing at unofficial points has become a popular loophole over recent years.
As of Saturday, the treaty now applies from coast to coast, meaning loopholes like Roxham Road are no more.
“It’s short-sighted, both for Canada and for refugees,” immigration lawyer Maureen Silcoff told Global News. “The solution would have been to end the agreement and allow people to cross at official ports of entry and seek asylum, allowing provinces across the county to receive them.”
READ MORE: A major Canada-U.S. border rule change is now in effect
Silcoff says closing the popular crossing near Hemmingford, Qc., won’t actually stop the influx of people who will try and get into Canada, it will only force them to do it more dangerously, and the people that enter will go undetected.
“Refugees should never be politicized. People will potentially die,” she said referencing past deaths of those who tried crossing in dangerous conditions.
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