Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has said Canada must be able to stay true to its values as it tries to resolve a dispute with the United States over legal protections for American customs officers working in Canada.
“There are ongoing conversations and discussions with the United States,” Trudeau said Friday in Prince Edward Island.
“I think it’s really important that we can stay true to our values as Canadians, but respect how we need to work together,” he said. “These are conversations that are ongoing and I hope they will be resolved soon.”
The dispute has kept NEXUS enrollment centers closed in Canada more than three months after they reopened south of the border — in part over a clash over the right of U.S. agents to carry guns on Canadian soil.
The standoff has resulted in a massive backlog of applications for the program, allowing pre-approved travelers to cross the border more quickly.
Handguns remain a sticking point
The Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) says the number of NEXUS applications has risen from 270,000 in April to more than 341,000 at a time when travel delays are wreaking havoc on passengers’ summer plans .
“We know airlines are facing labor shortages, airports are having trouble hiring people, there are a lot of challenges and it’s not just limited to Canada, we’re seeing it. all over the world,” Trudeau said Friday.
“I can tell you that the Minister of Transport is very, very committed to reviving air transport.”
WATCH | Why Canadians are facing delays in renewing their NEXUS cards:
Nearly 300,000 Canadians with Nexus cards — which expedite entry into the United States — are waiting to renew their cards.
CBSA spokeswoman Rebecca Purdy said in an email that Canada and the United States remain “in discussion” on when the 13 enrollment centers will reopen for candidate interviews, as the two sides are trying to clarify “legal protections” for US customs officers while they work at the condo centers.
U.S. Customs and Border Protection confirmed the heist revolved around the legal protections of its NEXUS office staff, saying in an email “an example could include permission to wear or to have access to a firearm while on duty”.
Two Canadian government sources told The Canadian Press that the United States wants its customs officers who work at NEXUS centers to have the same protections guaranteed to their other preclearance officers on Canadian soil, with handguns being a point of contention. major stumbling block in the talks.
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