The Safe Third Country Agreement is an agreement between Canada and the United States that requires refugee claimants to request protection in the first safe country they arrive in. This agreement applies to people who are seeking refugee protection in either Canada or the United States.
Under the Safe Third Country Agreement, refugee claimants are required to request protection in the first safe country they arrive in. This means that if a person arrives in Canada from the United States, they must make a refugee claim in the United States. Similarly, if a person arrives in the United States from Canada, they must make a refugee claim in Canada.
The Safe Third Country Agreement does not apply to certain categories of people, including unaccompanied minors, people who have family members in Canada, and people who have already made a refugee claim in either Canada or the United States. The Safe Third Country Agreement applies when a claim is made at the Canada/US border and does not usually apply when a claim is made inland at an Immigration, Refugee and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) office.
The Safe Third Country Agreement has been controversial since it was first introduced in 2004. Critics argue that the agreement does not take into account the different levels of protection available in the two countries, and that it prevents people from seeking protection in Canada.
The Canadian government has recently announced that it will review the Safe Third Country Agreement. This review will consider the impact of the agreement on refugee claimants, and will look at ways to improve the agreement.
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