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Why did asylum seekers cross from the United States into Canada away from official border crossings?

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Justin Trudeau Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau attending a meeting of the G7 in Italy, 2024.

Asylum seekers crossed from the United States into Canada away from official border crossings due to the Safe Third Country Agreement (STCA).1

Under the terms of this agreement, which was established in 2004, refugees are generally required to seek asylum in the country where they first arrive. This policy effectively barred individuals from making asylum claims if they attempted to enter Canada through official ports of entry along the U.S.-Canadian border.12

However, a loophole in the agreement allowed individuals who entered Canada outside of these official crossings to apply for asylum. Consequently, thousands of people—including those whose legal status in the United States was threatened by changes in immigration policy—walked into Canada at unofficial locations to bypass the restrictions imposed by the STCA.1