Are you thinking of claiming asylum in Canada during the covid pandemic? |
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July 17 , 2021 Important Notice
- Proposed changes to the US- Canada land border rules do not apply to asylum seekers.
- The situation for asylum seekers coming to the Canadian land border remains the same. See information below.
- We will update this page as soon as new information becomes available.
IMPORTANT MESSAGE FOR PEOPLE WHO HAVE ALREADY MADE AN ASYLUM CLAIM IN THE US
If you have applied for asylum in the USA (or in the United Kingdom, New Zealand or Australia) you are no longer entitled to the full independent refugee determination process in Canada. Instead you only have access to a Pre-Removal Risk Assessment (PRRA) hearing conducted by a government official. You will be able to have a lawyer or immigration consultant present with you. You need to be aware that the PRRA is a much less thorough process and has a low success rate. However, if you are successful you will be recognized as either a refugee or a protected person in Canada. ** Please consult a Canadian refugee lawyer before attempting to enter Canada.
If you have applied for asylum in the USA (or in the United Kingdom, New Zealand or Australia) you are no longer entitled to the full independent refugee determination process in Canada. Instead you only have access to a Pre-Removal Risk Assessment (PRRA) hearing conducted by a government official. You will be able to have a lawyer or immigration consultant present with you. You need to be aware that the PRRA is a much less thorough process and has a low success rate. However, if you are successful you will be recognized as either a refugee or a protected person in Canada. ** Please consult a Canadian refugee lawyer before attempting to enter Canada.
Consult this page for regular updates on the Canada-US border situation.
Please read this carefully before deciding to contact us. (bridgesnotborders.ca@gmail.com)
The following information is valid until August 21st, 2021.
Note: Asylum seekers who qualify to enter Canada do not need to be vaccinated.
If you do not have proof of vaccination you will have to quarantine.
1. AT AN OFFICIAL LAND PORT OF ENTRY (Like St Bernard de Lacolle)
- If you are seeking asylum in Canada AND you meet one of the exceptions to the Safe Third Country Agreement (STCA), you can go to an official land Port of Entry to make a refugee claim.
- FIRST make sure you fit under an exception to the STCA and know how to prove a family relationship. See information on the Canadian government website Here. Scroll down to read ‘Exceptions to the STCA’.
- If you are allowed to enter Canada to make a refugee claim you will have to remain in isolation for 14 days.
- You are strongly advised to consult a refugee lawyer or specialist organization before going to a Port of Entry. You can call/write: 1. Romero House in Toronto, Ontario to obtain the name of a reliable refugee lawyer: 416.763.1303 or info@romerohouse.org and 2. Viva La Casa in Buffalo, New York to get advice about STCA exceptions on 716.892.4354.
- IMPORTANT: If you DO NOT meet an exception under the STCA you will be sent back to the US. Unless you are able to challenge this decision, you will not be able to apply for asylum in Canada again. PLEASE NOTE you may be put in immigration detention in the US, and, depending on your situation, you may be removed to your home country.
2. CROSSING AT IRREGULAR POINTS ALONG THE BORDER, LIKE ROXHAM ROAD
- If you cross irregularly and are arrested, you will (with some exceptions) be sent back to the US, BUT you should be given a notice that you can return to a Port of Entry to make a refugee claim when the border reopens. PLEASE NOTE you may be put in immigration detention in the US, and, depending on your situation, you may be removed to your home country.
- The following people will NOT be sent back to the US and should be able to make a refugee claim: US citizens, stateless persons who live habitually in the US and unmarried unaccompanied children (under 18 years of age) without a parent or legal guardian in the US.
- Immigration officers also have the power to use their discretion to admit to Canada people who may be subject to the death penalty.
Please go to these pages for more information on the current situation from:
- the UN Refugee Agency in Canada: UNHCR
- the Government of Canada: Govt of Canada
April 2021
The Canada-US Cross border network has produced a second press release providing information on the border situation.
It is available HERE in Arabic, English, French, Kreole, Lingala, Portuguese and Spanish.
HELP IN THE USA
- We work closely with Plattsburgh Cares, a volunteer organization in Plattsburgh (New York State), which gives information and support to people wanting to leave the US to seek asylum in Canada. You can contact them for support at: support@plattsburghcares.org or call them at 518-243-8292 or 518-240-8866.
