The Safe Third Country Agreement (STCA) is an agreement between Canada and the United States that allows refugees to make asylum claims in Canada only if they have first made a claim in the United States, or vice versa. The agreement was signed in 2002 and came into effect in 2004.
The STCA has been controversial since it was signed. Some people argue that it is unfair to refugees, as it forces them to make asylum claims in countries where they may not feel safe. Others argue that the STCA helps to prevent asylum fraud and abuse.
In recent years, there have been a number of cases where people have tried to challenge the STCA. In 2018, a group of refugees argued that the STCA violated their human rights. The Federal Court of Appeal ruled in their favor, but the government appealed the decision to the Supreme Court of Canada, which is still deliberating on the issue.
MOST RECENT DEVELOPMENTS
The United States and Canada have agreed to expand the STCA to exclude foreign nationals who cross the border illegally. The agreement, which was announced on March 24, 2023, will allow the two countries to return asylum seekers who cross the border without authorization between ports of entry to their home countries.The agreement has been praised by some as a way to reduce the number of asylum seekers crossing the border illegally. However, others have criticized the agreement, saying that it violates international law and that it will make it more difficult for asylum seekers to reach Canada.
The new agreement comes at a time when the number of asylum seekers crossing the border between the United States and Canada has been increasing. In 2021, there were over 1.5 million asylum seekers apprehended at the U.S.-Canada border.
The agreement is likely to face legal challenges. The UNHCR has said that the agreement violates international law, and the American Civil Liberties Union has said that it will sue to block the agreement.
The new agreement is a major change to the STCA. It is likely to have a significant impact on asylum seekers and on the refugee system. It is also likely to continue to be a controversial issue in the years to come.
Here are some of the pros and cons of the STCA:
Pros
• The STCA helps to prevent asylum fraud and abuse.
• The STCA helps to manage the flow of refugee claimants at the shared land border.
Cons:
• The STCA is unfair to refugees, as it forces them to make asylum claims in countries where they may not feel safe.
• The STCA may violate the human rights of refugees.