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Photo by Tyler Anderson/National Post

Border officials can turn away would-be refugees if they try to enter Canada from the U.S. at regular ports of entry, but the agreement only applies to official border crossings. As a result, thousands of asylum claimants began entering Canada at Roxham Road in 2017, after the Trump administration announced its intention to end the temporary protected status it had granted Haitians after a massive earthquake in 2010. Last year, a new wave of Nigerian asylum claimants began crossing the border, after travelling to the U.S. on visitor visas.

The Trudeau government has faced heavy criticism from the Conservatives for its response to the issue, and in this week’s federal budget, the Liberals signalled a tougher approach to irregular asylum seekers, promising to prioritize the removal of irregular refugee claimants whose claims are denied.

Federal ministers have also for months been raising the Safe Third Country Agreement with U.S. officials, and Blair made clear earlier this week that he would like to update the agreement to allow Canada to deny entry to irregular asylum seekers.

Tuesday’s budget included nearly $1.2 billion over five years for a new border enforcement strategy and to speed up the processing of asylum claims and appeals. However, the budget did not include new money for Quebec or Ontario, which have both demanded that the federal government reimburse their costs related to asylum seekers. The Quebec government claims that Ottawa should pay the province $300 million to cover its costs.

In January, the federal government included nearly $115 million in new spending plans to reimburse temporary housing costs for the asylum seekers. “Ministers continue to engage with (Quebec) Premier (François) Legault and (Montreal) Mayor (Valérie) Plante to assist with immediate housing pressures, while ensuring the safety and security of our borders,” Blair’s spokesperson said Wednesday in an email.

With files from the Canadian Press

• Email: mforrest@postmedia.com | Twitter: MauraForrest