As the U.S.-Canada border prepares to close to all people except essential travellers, irregular migrants who try to cross the border will also be denied entry.

In a daily briefing to reporters Friday, March 20, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said that the border will close at midnight Saturday.

B次元官网网址淐anada and the United States are announcing a reciprocal arrangement that we will now be returning irregular migrants that attempt to cross anywhere at the Canada-U.S. border,B次元官网网址� Trudeau said outside Rideau Cottage in Ottawa.

Over the past few years, thousands of people have gotten around the Safe Third Country by crossing at informal points, specifically along Roxham Road in Quebec.

B次元官网网址淲e also have ensured we are comfortable with this process as being in line with CanadaB次元官网网址檚 values on the treatment of refugees and vulnerable people,B次元官网网址� he said.

In a statement, the Canadian Council for Refugees said it was stunned by FridayB次元官网网址檚 decision.

B次元官网网址淒uring a pandemic, we must uphold our commitments to protecting the rights of refugees and vulnerable migrants. This includes our fundamental legal obligation to not turn refugees away at the borders,B次元官网网址� said Janet Dench, the organizationB次元官网网址檚 executive director, said in an email.

B次元官网网址淲e are shocked that the government of Canada is not prepared to live up to that commitment.B次元官网网址�

Meanwhile, the Canadian American Business Council is working on ways to use existing B次元官网网址渢rusted travellerB次元官网网址� programs to streamline the process of getting across the border for those who qualify.

Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland says it is vital to the economic health of both countries that the flow of $2.7 billion worth of goods that cross the Canada-U.S. border each day be allowed to continue.

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ashley.wadhwani@bpdigital.ca
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