With a new asylum regulation, the United States and Canada want to take stricter measures against illegal immigration at the common border. This was announced by US President Joe Biden and Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau during a meeting in Ottawa.

The Canadian government has long been calling for such an agreement due to the sharp increase in illegal border crossings. Under the new regulations, anyone who entered the country illegally can be returned to the United States under certain conditions.

Canada: Admitting an additional 15,000 migrants per year

Nearly 40,000 migrants entered Canada last year, more than double the number in 2019, a year before the pandemic. These are mainly people from Central and South America who travel from the United States to Canada. In particular, the closed Roxham Road border crossing in northern New York has recently become a symbol of illegal border crossings.

An existing agreement should now be updated, according to a joint statement from the two countries. Canada has therefore committed to accepting 15,000 additional migrants within a year. New measures should provide “a deterrent to irregular migration on our common border”.

For Biden, this is the first trip to Canada since taking office in January 2021. During the visit, the US President and Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau underscored the undying friendship between neighboring countries.