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“Now it’s easier to establish ‘country of first presence’ without the need of line-of-sight. You can do that with biometrics, you can do that other ways, so the agreement could incorporate those new developments,” Hussen said.

Photo by Sean Kilpatrick/Canadian Press

This is one of several ideas he has floated to the United States government as a means to modernize the safe third country agreement.

But this change would do nothing to stop the flow of irregular migrants coming to Canada through unofficial entry points like the one at Saint-Bernard-de-Lacolle, Que., since the safe third country agreement does not apply at non-official border crossings, said Conservative Immigration critic Michelle Rempel.

That’s why the government needs to fully renegotiate the agreement or apply it to the full length of the border, she said.

She and other MPs questioned Hussen and Public Safety Minister Ralph Goodale on Tuesday at a meeting of the Commons immigration committee, where exchanges between the ministers and Opposition members often became testy.

I think it's because their plan isn't working and they don't want to be held accountable by Parliament or by the Canadian people and that's why they're withholding this data

Rempel said she is frustrated at the lack of details provided by the ministers to questions on the numbers of individuals who have been removed from the country after illegally claiming refugee status by crossing the border irregularly.

“I suspect that number is exceptionally low… there’s no way (Goodale) doesn’t have that number,” Rempel said.

“I think it’s because their plan isn’t working and they don’t want to be held accountable by Parliament or by the Canadian people and that’s why they’re withholding this data.”