The Canadian government considers the procedural changes planned by the United States to tighten the rules regarding asylum seekers from Canada to be in line with the Safe Third Country Agreement.

Matthew Kropovich, spokesperson for the Canadian Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship, stated in a statement today, Saturday, that the anticipated American changes do not affect the provisions of the agreement or the standards for exemption or exceptions under the agreement,” adding: “We are in regular contact with the United States about a range of issues and continue to work with them on this matter and other areas of border cooperation.

The U.S. Department of Homeland Security confirmed last Tuesday that it had reviewed the Safe Third Country Agreement with Canada and concluded that the process could be streamlined without affecting access to fair procedures for asylum determination.

Under this agreement, which came into effect in 2004, asylum seekers must apply for asylum in the first country they arrive in. The procedural change states that individuals entering the United States from Canada and applying for asylum will have four hours to consult with a lawyer instead of 24 hours.

It also means that border officers will only consider the documentary evidence that asylum seekers present upon arrival.

The Canadian Prime Minister and U.S. President Joe Biden reached the Safe Third Country Agreement to close a loophole that allowed people who crossed official border crossings to apply, and this agreement has led to a noticeable decrease in the number of people crossing into Canada from the United States via unofficial border points, yet the number of people heading in the opposite direction has begun to increase.

It is noted that the number of migrants crossing the border between Canada and the United States is less than those crossing the border between the United States and Mexico.