Safe Third Country Agreement between Canada and the United States

The Safe Third Country Agreement (STCA) between Canada and the United States is a treaty that requires asylum seekers to request protection in the first country they arrive in—either Canada or the U.S. If someone arrives at a U.S. border seeking asylum, they are sent back to Canada if they entered the U.S. from there, and vice versa. This agreement aims to streamline the asylum process between the two nations, but it has sparked debate about the safety and rights of refugees, as conditions can vary significantly between the two countries.