Scheer promises to stop illegal border crossings in Quebec

In a speech on Wednesday, Scheer addressed many concerns regarding illegal immigration at the Roxham Road crossing. The road separates the U.S. from Quebec and is a hot spot of illegal entry into Canada, with prospective migrants simply crossing the border and immediately claiming asylum, leading to a process that can sometimes take years to resolve.

“For Canadians to have faith in the immigration system, the rules have to be followed and the laws have to be enforced. As prime minister, that’s exactly what I will do,” Scheer said.

According to CBC, “Between January and August this year, RCMP intercepted 10,343 people entering the country from the U.S. outside legal border points, the vast majority of them at Roxham Road. That’s down from 14,125 in the same period in 2018.”

A major talking point was the prospective correcting of the Safe Third Country Agreement (STCA) with the U.S., which allows migrants to claim in Canada, despite having crossed through the U.S. first.

“We want to make sure that when people come into Canada, we are putting the safety and security of Canadians first. That is paramount,” Scheer continued.

He also clarified that while he wants to tackle immigration from unofficial crossing points, he would like to promote legal economic immigration into Canada.

To facilitate these changes and protections, Scheer promised to hire “250 new Canada Border Services Agency officers, more Immigration and Refugee Board judges to “hotspots” to expedite claims, and closely monitor criminal groups that pose a threat to Canada, including MS-13 gang members,” reports CBC.