Canada and the United States are nearing signing an agreement to improve the situation of irregular migration along their shared border, including the Roxham Road.
“I think this is very good news,” confirmed Health Minister Jean-Yves Duclos, pressed by questions from journalists. “I understand that there will be clarifications quickly,” he added, claiming to know the content of the agreement.
The details of a new agreement are therefore not yet public. On the Canadian side, we say we are “encouraged by the signals coming from the United States,” according to a senior government source. Progress has been made in the discussions and more is expected in Friday’s sessions. It is therefore not yet possible to know Canada’s concessions or to implement possible new restrictions.
As US President Joe Biden lands in Ottawa on Thursday evening, the pressure to come to a new deal has continued to mount in recent weeks.
On Wednesday, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau indicated that an agreement was imminent: “We may have something to announce,” he said without saying more.
Our The Roxham Road in Questions series:
Federal Immigration Minister Sean Fraser also spoke to the media on Wednesday, stressing that the two countries believe in an orderly border while having “immigration policies that favor those fleeing violence, war or persecution.”
Quebec Premier François Legault has been calling for Roxham Road to be “closed” for months. He reiterated his demands Thursday, noting that transferring asylum seekers outside the province is not enough.
In 2022, 39,171 asylum seekers were intercepted at this irregular passage, accounting for two-thirds of all applications in Quebec.
More details to come.
As a reminder, criminal proceedings against Trudeau in relation to Roxham Road are dropped