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WORLD NEWS Thursday 23 July 2020
Canadian court invalidates asylum agreement with the U.S.

By WILSON RING lawsuit. "That cannot be
Associated Press allowed to continue one
A Canadian court Wednes- more day."
day invalidated the coun- An email sent to the U.S.
try's Safe Third Country State Department in
Agreement with the United Washington seeking com-
States, ruling elements of ment was not immediately
the law violate Canadian returned.A former U.S. De-
constitutional guarantees partment of Homeland Se-
of life, liberty and security. curity attache in Ottawa
But Federal Court Justice who helped work on the
Ann Marie McDonald de- details of the implementa-
layed the implementa- tion of the agreement said
tion of her decision for six the ruling mostly criticizes
months, to give the Cana- the Canadian government
dian Parliament time to re- for sending asylum seekers
spond. to the United States in a
"I conclude that the provi- way that violates the Ca-
sions enacting the (safe nadian charter. "It certainly
third country agreement) is a broad criticism of the
infringe the guarantees In this Aug. 7, 2017, file photo, Royal Canadian Mounted Police officers greet migrants as they U.S. policy of detention of
in section 7 of the Char- enter into Canada at an unofficial border crossing at the end of Roxham Road in Champlain, N.Y. asylum-seekers," Theresa
ter," McDonald wrote in Associated Press Brown, now director of im-
her decision, referring to migration and cross border
the Canadian Charter of are released and allowed cited the widespread de- ment remains in effect." policy at the Bipartisan Pol-
Rights and Freedom, part to live in Canada, taking tention of asylum seekers On Wednesday, the three icy Center in Washington,
of Canada's Constitution. "I advantage of generous so- who are turned back from groups that filed the law- said in a Wednesday email.
have also concluded that cial welfare benefits while Canada and the separa- suit said they welcomed Since Trump took office in
the infringement is not justi- their asylum applications tion of parents and chil- the decision and urged the 2017, tens of thousands of
fied under section 1 of the are reviewed, a process dren as other examples of government of Canada people have crossed into
Charter." that can take years. why the U.S. is not a "safe" not to appeal. The groups Canada at locations be-
Under the agreement, Last fall Amnesty Inter- country for newly arrived also urged Canada to stop tween ports of entry where
immigrants who want to national, the Canadian immigrants. returning refugee claim- they were arrested, but
seek asylum in Canada Council for Refugees and Mary-Liz Power, a spokes- ants to the United States then able to file a refugee
and present themselves at the Canadian Council of person for Canada's Public immediately. claim.
ground ports of entry from Churches sued, arguing Safety Minister Bill Blair, said "The Safe Third Country Many of those migrants
the United States are re- that the Canadian gov- they were aware of the de- Agreement has been the who came to the U.S. from
turned to the U.S. and told ernment has no guaran- cision. source of grave human across the globe — Syria,
to seek asylum there. tee that those returned to "Although the Federal rights violations for many Congo, Haiti and else-
But if they request asylum the United States will be Court has made its ruling, years, unequivocally con- where — would travel to
on Canadian soil at a lo- safe because of the treat- that decision does not firmed in this ruling," said upstate New York and then
cation other than an of- ment of immigrants by the come in effect until Janu- Alex Neve, secretary gen- go to Roxham Road in
ficial crossing, the process administration of President ary 22nd 2021," Power said eral of Amnesty Interna- the town of Champlain, a
is allowed to go forward. Donald Trump. in a written statement. "The tional Canada, one of the backroad that dead-ends
In most cases, the refugees The original legal challenge Safe Third Country Agree- groups that brought the at the border. q

Pompeo says U.S. to expand Arctic role to deter Russia, China

COPENHAGEN, Denmark ed States in Greenland," with last year. It was not on
(AP) — U.S. Secretary of Pompeo told reporters at the table," he said.
State Mike Pompeo said a joint news conference Jenis av Rana, the Faroe
Wednesday the United with Danish Foreign Minister Islands' minister for culture
States will become more Jeppe Kofod. and foreign affairs, told
active in the Arctic to coun- The U.S. Consulate in Nuuk, Danish media ahead of Ko-
ter growing Russian influ- Greenland's capital, re- fod's meeting with Pompeo
ence and thwart attempts opened in June after a that he was keen to discuss
by China to insert itself into decades-long hiatus. The what role Washington sees
the region. move attracted attention the North Atlantic archipel-
During a brief visit to Den- because of U.S. President ago playing in the Arctic.
mark, Pompeo hailed Donald Trump's stated in- He also wondered about
the reopening of the U.S. terest last year in purchas- the possibility of a free
Consulate in the semi- ing Greenland from Den- trade agreement between
autonomous Danish terri- mark. Kofod said the idea the United States and the Danish Foreign Minister Jeppe Kofod, right and US Secretary of
State Mike Pompeo give a joint press conference in Copenha-
tory of Greenland and an- of the U.S. buying Green- Faroe Islands, an autono- gen, Denmark, Wednesday, July 22, 2020.
nounced a new sustainable land, which was roundly mous Danish territory with Associated Press
fisheries and commercial rejected and ridiculed by some 52,000 inhabitants
engagement agreement both Greenlandic and that is located north of cerned the Arctic could "We're very worried if the
with the Faroe Islands, an- Danish officials, was not Scotland between Iceland become a battleground Arctic becomes a play-
other Danish territory in the raised during his talks with and Norway. for the U.S. and other ma- ground or a scene of war
North Atlantic. Pompeo on Wednesday. Av Rana told Danish broad- jor global powers, including for the great powers," av
"It's a new day for the Unit- "That discussion was dealt caster TV2 he was con- Russia and China. Rana said. q