Canadian border agents are nervous about a recent uptick in asylum seekers crossing illegally into Canada. As Mike Armstrong explains, those on the front lines are nervous about what could happen as the weather warms up.
Officials in the United States have confirmed they are reviewing a Canadian proposal to amend the Safe Third Country Agreement, but Ottawa maintains that “no formal negotiations” are underway on the matter.
The apparent contradiction between the two sides comes as nearly 100 people continue crossing the border illegally each day to seek asylum in Canada — a number that is expected to rise as the weather warms.
Speaking on background, U.S. officials said that the Department of Homeland Security has no decision to announce at this time on the proposal by Canada (the details of which remain unclear), but is working closely with the Canada Border Services Agency on a variety of fronts.
The comments were made less than a day after Reuters reported that Canada has been trying for seven months to convince the U.S. to extend the Safe Third Country Agreement and have it apply across the entire length of the border. That would close a loophole that has resulted in over 26,000 illegal crossings over the last 15 months.
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