TORONTO (Reuters) – The Canadian government is ready to welcome migrants from Central America to help the United States, which is grappling with an influx of migrants on its southern border with Mexico, Canada’s Minister for Immigration Marco Mendicino.
In their first phone call since President Joe Biden’s administration was sworn in, Mendicino and US Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas last week discussed issues such as migration to Central America – an area that the Biden administration is struggling to control.
Canada wants to help, Mendicino told Reuters in an interview Tuesday night.
“I certainly think we have the capacity at the existing level as planned to accommodate more refugees,” he said.
Canada aims to resettle 36,000 refugees by 2021.
While Mendicino does not rule out accepting migrants into US custody, his spokesperson said this was unlikely because Canada was resettling refugees referred by the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees. . Mendicino did not say how many migrants Canada would accept.
The US Department of Homeland Security did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Canada’s offer of aid comes as the number of migrants detained at the US-Mexico border has skyrocketed in recent months to its highest level in two decades.
Vice President Kamala Harris, responsible for managing migration in Central America, is in Mexico and Guatemala this week seeking a solution to the situation.
Mendicino said he and Mayorkas discussed a “roadmap for renewing Canada-US relations,” managing their shared border and meeting migration goals.
Canada has identified itself as a leader in refugee resettlement, even though it repatriates asylum seekers at its own borders. Last year it took around 40% of the total number of refugees resettled globally, or around 9,000.
“By having ambitious plans like the ones we have on this, which we signal not only to America but to the world, Canada will continue to play a leadership role in refugee resettlement,” added Mendicino.
In its 2021 budget, Canada is allocating C $ 80.3 million over two years to the Venezuelan migrant and refugee crisis.
Canada also wants to expand the Safe Third Country Agreement (ETRT), under which asylum seekers attempting to cross at ports of entry are refused, so that it applies across the Canadian border. American.
This will affect people who cross irregularly, such as on Roxham Road in Quebec, a common destination for asylum seekers who escape the STCA.
“There is certainly a very strong feeling between our two countries that this is a very valuable instrument, it is a very valuable agreement, because it creates opportunities for further cooperation,” said Mendicino.
Source: Reuters
Translator: Mulyo Sunyoto
Publisher: Atman Ahdiat
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