The United States has witnessed a significant and clear increase in illegal crossings into the country from Canada over the past few years.

The U.S. government is taking steps to expedite the processing of asylum requests at its northern border in an effort to discourage migrants from crossing illegally from Canada.

The government has decided to implement two changes under the Safe Third Country Agreement (STCA), which requires asylum seekers to apply for refugee status in the first two countries they enter.

Migrants seeking to prove they are exempt from the Safe Third Country Agreement will be required to present their documents to U.S. border officials at the time of their screening; migrants were previously allowed to postpone screenings to gather necessary documents and paperwork.

Migrants will also have only four hours, instead of 24 hours, to consult with an attorney before their screening.

According to U.S. Customs and Border Protection, border agents apprehended 12,612 migrants who illegally crossed the border between the United States and Canada in the first six months of 2024.

This is an increase from 12,218 during the entire year of 2023 and exceeds the number of individuals apprehended during 2021 and 2022.

It is worth noting that Ottawa decided earlier this year to reinstate some visa requirements for Mexican citizens visiting Canada, which coincided with a decline in the number of Mexican migrants attempting to cross the border into the United States from Canada since then.

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and President Joe Biden announced during the past year (2023) that they are making changes to the STCA law by expanding its application to cover the entire U.S.-Canada border, rather than just official entry points.