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Overlooked in the recent debate about asylum standards is the fact that many of those arriving at the Canadian border have resided without incident in the United States for some time, including many for some years. In addition, what is often left unsaid by advocates of looser border controls is that many of those arriving in Canada who claim to be fearful of the outcome of their applications in the United States are likely inadmissible to Canada, as well.

In fact, it appears that the rising tide of irregular asylum seekers is less a function of Trump’s policies than a result of Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s ill-considered tweets welcoming migrants to Canada. They looked like one-upmanship against Trump; however, they gave the false impression that Canada’s border was wide open.

Ending the Safe Third Country Agreement is not the solution. Doing so would, in fact, likely increase the number of asylum seekers coming to Canada. At the same time, Canada’s asylum standards, which are quite similar to those of the United States, would probably result in an equally large number of applications being rejected. What, then, will Canada do with so many disappointed applicants at its doors?

Matthew P. Harrington is law professor at Université de Montréal.