Canada-U.S. Safe Third Country Agreement

The Canada-U.S. Safe Third Country Agreement is a pact where Canada and the U.S. agree to send asylum seekers back to the other country if they arrive at an official border crossing, under the assumption that both are safe places to seek refugee protection. This means most people who arrive at a Canadian border and are eligible for asylum will be returned to the U.S., and vice versa, unless they qualify for certain exceptions. The aim is to streamline immigration enforcement while respecting the rights of genuine refugees.