With new asylum controls, the US and Canada want to crack down on illegal immigration across their common border. US President Joe Biden and Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced this at a meeting in Ottawa.
The Canadian government has long pushed for such an agreement because of a sharp increase in illegal border crossings. Under the new law, anyone who entered the country illegally can be returned to the United States under certain conditions.
Canada: 15,000 additional immigrants per year
Nearly 40,000 immigrants entered Canada last year, more than double the number in 2019, a year before the pandemic. They are mainly from Central and South America, traveling from the US to Canada. In particular, the closed Roxham Road border north of New York has recently become a symbol of illegal border crossings.
According to a joint statement by the two countries, the existing agreement should now be renewed. So Canada has agreed to accept an additional 15,000 immigrants within a year. Further measures are to “prevent irregular migration across our common border”.
For Biden, this will be his first trip to Canada since taking office in January 2021. During the visit, US President and Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau emphasized the unshakable friendship between the neighboring countries.
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