Trudeau, Biden reach deal on sharing burden of illegal immigration

On Thursday, Canadian prime minister Justin Trudeau and American president Joe Biden reached a deal regarding their nations' border, and those who attempt to cross it illegally.

The full details of the agreement are expected to be released on Friday as Biden continues his first official visit to Canada as president, more than two years into his presidency.



According to the Los Angeles Times, sources familiar with the negotiations have revealed that the nations' "Safe Third Country Agreement" will be updated to include migrants to cross from the United States into Canada illegally. 

Since its adoption in 2004, the agreement has only applied to those who arrive in Canada or the US via an official port of entry. The transition is set to be accomplished by designating the entire 8,900km border as an "official port of entry." 

The loophole in the agreement has led to many migrants attempting to enter Canada from the US via Roxham Road, an unofficial crossing between Quebec and New York that has been the subject of much scrutiny.

Earlier this year, Canadian officials were caught off guard when New York City mayor Eric Adams began allowing busloads of migrants to be shuttled from the Big Apple to Roxham Road, creating a crisis for border patrol agents.

Under the new agreement, authorities would be able to effectively close Roxham Road, a decision that has garnered support from many.

"Trudeau has backed down again & agreed to close Roxham Road, roughly 30 days after I told him to," Conservative leader Pierre Poilievre tweeted following the announcement. 

In return, Canada is expected to allow 15,000 migrants from the Western Hemisphere to submit applications to enter the country legally, taking some of the burden off the United States.

The number of migrants entering both nations illegally has risen in recent years, particularly in the east, where border patrol saw an 800 percent increase since FY 2022.