November 22, 2021 – Ottawa, ON – Raquel Dancho, Conservative Shadow Minister for Public Safety, and Pierre Paul-Hus, Conservative Shadow Minister for Public Services and Procurement, released the following statement responding to the Liberal government lifting the ban that prevented individuals from illegally crossing the Canada-US border at unofficial crossings to claim asylum:
“Justin Trudeau has prioritized illegal border crossers from the United States over legitimate refugees fleeing violence, terror, and oppression abroad who desperately need Canada’s compassion and accommodation. In 2018, this saw the wait time for a refugee claim hearing increase by a third, up to 20 months.
“Instead of helping law-abiding asylum-seekers access protection, Justin Trudeau’s failure to secure the border has cost the Canadian taxpayer $1.6 billion and has needlessly contributed towards the abuse of Canada’s generous asylum system.
“Only Canada’s Conservatives are calling for changes to ensure our immigration system is fair, orderly, effective, and compassionate. We are calling on the Federal government to apply the Safe Third Country Agreement, to bring an end to illegal border crossings and to protect our borders.”
