Biden to discuss asylum-seekers with Trudeau during Canada trip

President Biden is heading to Canada Thursday, March 23, to address the country’s Parliament. It is his first trip there as president, and according to the White House, he plans to discuss a number of issues with Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau.

The list includes:

• Efforts to make the supply chain more resilient.
• Combating climate change.
• Transitioning to clean energy.
• Addressing instability in Haiti.
• Supporting Ukraine.
• Modernizing the North American Aerospace Defense Command.

They will also collaborate on the opioid crisis and migration.

There has been a significant increase in illegal crossings in Canada. U.S. Customs and Border Protection says encounters and apprehensions for one section of the northern border were up 846% between October of 2022 and January of 2023.

The Daily Caller is reporting that Department of Homeland Security flew undocumented migrants from the U.S.-Canada border to the southern border to ultimately expel them under Title 42. The outlet cited an internal agency memo.

Currently, Canada and the U.S. have a policy called the Safe Third Country Agreement. Since 2004, it has required asylum-seekers to file claims in the first of the two countries they arrive in. So, those arriving in Canada from the U.S. are sent back to the U.S. 

But there’s an exception if they enter Canada at an unofficial crossing, like Roxham Road. It’s a loophole that is contributing to the influx of migrants there. Trudeau says he plans to speak with Biden about renegotiating the agreement during this visit. 

According to CTV News, Canada’s ambassador to the U.S. says Biden is not dismissing a renegotiation of the agreement.