The Canadian-U.S. Relationship: The Safe Third Country Agreement

The recent expansion of the Safe Third Country Agreement — which started as a 9/11 era deal that Canada negotiated in order to exert more control over immigration levels — prohibits asylum seekers from entering at unofficial ports of entry. 

The agreement allows Canada to share responsibility for asylum seekers with the US, because the US is “safe” for refugees. 

But there are years of documented evidence suggesting the US is not actually safe, including two Supreme Court rulings, reports from international human rights organizations, and data on the detainment and deportation of asylum seekers. 

So why have we ignored it? 

Host: Jesse Brown

Credits: Cherise Seucharan (Reporter), Tristan Capacchione (Audio Editor and Technical Producer), Annette Ejiofor (Managing Editor)

Further reading:

• The new Canada-U.S. border deal will cost Canadian taxpayers at least this much, Toronto Star, April 14, 2023
• What the new US-Canada border deal means for asylum seekers, Al-Jazeera, 24 Mar 2023
• Why we are challenging the USA as a “safe third country” in the Federal Court of Canada, Canadian Council for Refugees 
• US: Detention Hazardous to Immigrants’ Health, Human Rights Watch
• Canada could save lives, but closes Roxham Road instead, Law360 Canada

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