Canada to accept 11,000 migrants from Haiti, South America this fall as part of deal to close Roxham Road

The Canadian Press / Spencer Colby

According to Immigration Canada, 11,000 migrants from Colombia, Haiti and Venezuela will be welcomed into the country with open arms this fall.

Last March 23, Canada and the U.S. struck a bargain to close Roxham Road by amending the Safe Third Country Agreement in exchange for 15,000 migrants from Central and South America.

The agreement came into effect in 2004 and recognized Canada and the U.S. as “safe” for migrants to seek asylum and that they must file an application in the first country they enter.

In June, the Supreme Court of Canada ruled the agreement as “constitutional,” contending it posed no threat to Section 7 of the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedom — the right to life, liberty and security of a person.

On October 10, Immigration Minister Marc Miller announced Canada is in the process of creating a “new humanitarian permanent residence pathway” for 11,000 migrants from three countries.

“Starting this fall, Colombian, Haitian and Venezuelan foreign nationals located in Central or South America or the Caribbean who have extended family connections in Canada will be eligible to apply for this new pathway,” he told reporters.

According to Radio-Canada, the RCMP received a five-page document from the U.S. detailing how Mexican cartels and 'organized criminal groups' to the south have established a stronger foothold in Canada.https://t.co/zvc8BEPNqF

— Rebel News (@RebelNewsOnline) September 26, 2023

As part of the upcoming immigration stream, the federal government requests the principal applicant be a relative, spouse, common-law partner of a Canadian citizen or permanent resident. 

According to Immigration Canada, the country will offer new permanent residents an employment skills assessment and a referral to their community for settlement purposes.

“Global displacement of people in search of safety is at an all-time high. The Americas are seeing unprecedented numbers of migrants seeking safe haven and new opportunities, in often dangerous situations such as crossing the Darien Gap,” said Miller.

“Working closely with the U.S., we expect to see these measures help curb [illegal] migration and promote safe migration as an alternative to the often dangerous irregular routes in the Americas,” he added.

According to federal immigration data, Canada received 20,891 refugee claims from illegal immigrants crossing the U.S.-Canada border last year from an unofficial border crossing.

Between January and March of this year, Canada received 14,192 refugee claims from illegal immigrants.