Canada’s Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship said Conservative Party leader Pierre Polivre’s proposal for the federal government to close the irregular border crossing on Wroxham Road was “reckless”.
“Frankly, to simply say ‘close Wroxham Road in 30 days’ is a reckless and unthoughtful approach,” Fraser said Wednesday morning in Dartmouth, New South Wales. Speaking to the media, he told reporters.
“If we take such an approach, rather than actually treating people with dignity and respect and pursuing options that require bilateral dialogue with the United States, we will bring the issue to the border between Canada and the United States. Just move it to another point along the way,” said Fraser.
“As a result, vulnerable migrants seeking safe haven in Canada are likely to be at serious risk, and may be forced to cross dangerous sections of the border. It affects families.”
On Tuesday, Poilievre called on the federal government to present a plan to close the Wroxham Road intersection along the Quebec-New York border within a month, likely for some time during the COVID-19 pandemic. As was suggested that it can be done. At a press conference on the topic, Conservative leaders accused Trudeau of encouraging irregular crossings there after years of failing to find a solution.
“If we are a real country, we have borders. If this is a real prime minister, he is responsible for that border,” Polivre said. “He has been six years since the influx began. It is his job to close the borders and we are calling on him to do so.”
This came shortly after Quebec Prime Minister Francois Legault raised the issue. Back to National Political Agenda By asking Trudeau to prioritize renegotiating safe third-country agreements when U.S. President Joe Biden visits next month. Legault says the deal has resulted in an increase and a disproportionate influx of immigrants to Quebec.
federal numbers show 39,000+ After crossing overland to Quebec in 2022, he applied for asylum.
Mr Fraser said Wednesday that Legault was right to raise the issue, noting that Quebec faces disproportionate pressure not only on the province’s social services but also on its health and education systems. Nevertheless, he called Polyvre’s approach:
“The time has come to solve problems through adult conversations with America’s most important strategic trading partners,” Fraser said, referring to the “lasting solution” through modernization of secure third-country agreements. , noted ongoing conversations with US counterparts.
The cross-border agreement was first signed in 2002, and despite some recent adjustments, talks about modernizing it have been underway since 2018. input.
The loophole that the agreement applies only to official border crossings means that asylum seekers who successfully enter the country through unofficial crossings such as Wroxham Road will not be returned.
Fraser said work is underway across the country to fund communities in other provinces, including Ontario and Atlantic Canada, with capacity to accommodate additional asylum seekers.
“Canada bears the brunt of the challenges we face as a result of our compliance with our national and legal obligations, because it is neither fair nor right for one community or one province to bear the burden. says Fraser.
Using Spencer Van Dyk’s file from CTV News
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