Pressure to shut illegal-border down rubbed off on the Liberals

Justin Trudeau has finally committed to closing the borders, including refusing entry to illegal immigrants who arrive through Roxham Road. 

On Friday, Public Safety Minister Bill Blair said  “It’s part of a larger suite of measures that we are putting in place to have better control of non-essential passage of that border.

This is a challenge to manage and regulate, and so to address that challenge in these extraordinary circumstances, we’ve agreed that this is the appropriate measure to put in place”.

To give credit where it’s due, Prime Minister Trudeau finally took the proper stance on illegal immigration. Let’s hope the moratorium remains in place when the pandemic ends.

March 20 update 

On Thursday, Prime Minister Trudeau announced the enduring need for COVID-19 testing with 800 confirmed and presumptive cases in Canada. The federal government will be implementing a $82-billion “response package” that includes measures ranging from wage subsidies and income support to a temporary stimulus to the federal government’s child benefit program.

Hoping to avoid a healthcare system collapse, all levels of government have stressed a social distancing of 2 meters apart. Additional to the economic boost, CBC has reported that passport services except in the cases of urgent travel will be suspended. Exceptions include serious illness, the death of a friend/ family member, humanitarian work or for valid business reasons. Service Canada says anyone who does not meet the criteria for urgent travel or displays serious COVID-19 symptoms such as respiratory difficulty or fever is obliged to hold still. 

Among the more groundbreaking developments is the border closure between Canada and the United States-the first in recorded history. Trudeau and Trump have both assured, however, it is temporary and that supplies will flow without obstruction. 

But, despite the border closure, an influx of illegal immigrants entering through Roxham Road remains at constant level. The breach of law places a risk to Canadians while draining fragile government resources. Québec has 121 confirmed cases, it cannot sustain the inflow of new arrivals. Canada desperately needs to reassert her sovereignty by apprehending and deporting illegal immigrants. 

Roxham Road

The federal Immigration Department has stated 16,000 people crossed the Canada-U.S. border illegally into Quebec through the end of October 2019 and roughly 19,000 did so the preceding year. Since 2017, 96 per cent of all migrants who have crossed illegally into Canada have done so via Roxham Road.

Under the Canada-US Safe Third Country Agreement, if illegal refugees chose to through official entry points, they’ll be turned away from official ports because Canada does not accept refugees from the United States. However a loophole in the agreement permits them to make a claim if they manage to get across the border illegally.

Escaping one of the freest, most democratic countries in the world to enter another one illegally is unfair to the citizens who are left with no choice but to watch Canadian law be completely disregarded and have their cities/provinces forced to carry the financial burden. 

The first influx of newcomers were largely Haitian, but has since been followed by people coming from Yemen. But amidst the refugees are also those who have been charged with possessing child pronography. The Criminal Intelligence Service Canada even warned that MS-13 members have been interested in crossing the border.

COVID-19 has engendered most cities to enact lockdown measures. Across the country, a multitude of schools and businesses have been closed with little indication on precisely when the situation will ameliorate. With a crumbling economy and mounting anxieties, retail stores continue to be inundated by customers preparing for the worst possible outcome. 

Illegal Crossings

Trudeau’s government has ensured all illegal crossers undergo COVID-19 screening tests. Some may also be subject to quarantine if they test positive or show symptoms of the virus. Federal Minister of Public Safety Bill Blair has also stated rather than being sent to Montreal, the border crossers will be subject to different accommodations. Québec simply cannot be burdened with safeguarding its respective population whilst providing for waves of illegitimate arrivals. 

Roxham Road has become the favoured entry point for illegal immigrants because the Safe Third Country Agreement clause forbids arrivals to claim asylum at officially denoted land border points. Hence, Roxham Road is nothing but a means to an end for the arrivals who deliberately seek to capitalize on a legal loophole. 

Why it’s wrong

Illegally entering a country is a deliberate infringement of sovereignty. At its core, the new-left’s social constructivist approach to conceptualizing borders is negligent of communal bonds that give rise to nationhood.

Borders are delineations of a living culture that preexists the claim of refuge. Succinctly put, a nation is under the auspices of its respective populous which, collectively, supersedes the interests of foreigners who wish to undermine it by neglecting its legal code. Just as the family is secured, each generation of the polity prolongs the nation with an obligation to preserve its hitherto culture, tradition, and customs. 

In tandem with securing borders, it is paramount the rule of law is upheld. Akin to a nation’ borders, its set of laws are not ex nihilo; they emanate from a living tradition that is to be respected by the citizenry. It is also unacceptable to hold foreigners unaccountable to the laws, especially when illegal border crossing is a regular occurence, with roughly 1,000 monthly arrivals.

Trudeau deserves credit

Prime Minister Trudeau executed the right judgment by rescinding help to illegal border crossers. Above all else, priority must be allocated to Canadians first. 

While Trudeau continues to remain a progressive-minded leader, the present moratorium, along with the pandemic, may convince the Liberal government to adopt stricter immigration policies. The COVID-19 pandemic demonstrates the evident foibles unrestricted globalization presents. If Trudeau apostatizes from the neo-liberal order, characterized by the free flow of labour and populations, he may set Canada on a more sustainable path where domestic industries, like Albertan oil, can flourish.