Saint-Bernard-de-Lacolle, QC – Andrew Scheer, Leader of the Official Opposition and Leader of Canada’s Conservatives, visited the Canada Border Services Agency’s facilities near Roxham Road at Saint-Bernard-de-Lacolle today to observe the state of the asylum seeker situation. Mr. Scheer was joined by the Conservative Shadow Minister for Public Safety, Mr. Pierre Paul-Hus.
“I visited the shelters installed by the government and saw firsthand the impact of the Prime Minister’s tweet saying that everyone was welcome. I also saw the significant amount of infrastructure that had to be constructed and the additional pressure placed on our border officials,” said the Conservative Leader.
Since January 2017, more than 26,000 people have illegally crossed the Canada-US border through Roxham Road. They then stay in Canada while their request is processed, which can take years.
“For more than a year, we have been calling on the Trudeau government to renegotiate the Safe Third Country Agreement with the United States. Justin Trudeau is failing to manage Canada’s immigration system in an orderly, planned, and safe manner. The G7 Summit is beginning today and despite our request the Prime Minister does not want to discuss this issue with his counterparts,” said Mr. Paul-Hus.
“Canada is a welcoming country, and immigration will always be very important to Canada’s future. However, it must be done in an orderly manner. It is unfair that people who are fleeing real violence, or who are stuck in refugee camps, are being forced to wait longer as illegal migrants pass them by. Our Conservative Official Opposition will continue to demand that the Trudeau government close the loophole in the Safe Third Country Agreement, and provide a concrete plan to manage Canada’s borders,” concluded Mr. Scheer.
