Amnesty International, The Canadian Council of Churches and The Canadian Council for Refugees will be before the Supreme Court of Canada on October 6, 2022 at 9:30 AM ET, to challenge the constitutionality of the Safe Third Country Agreement (STCA). You can tune into the hearing here.
Join us in rallying for refugee rights:
Location: 361 University Ave., Toronto ON – meet at the Pillars of Justice Sculpture, opposite the US Embassy
Date/Time: Thursday, October 6 at 1:00 PM
Contact: For more information, contact anne@mathewhouse.ca
Background
Under the STCA, most refugee claimants who arrive at an official land port of entry seeking protection in Canada are denied entry and turned back to the US, where many suffer serious rights violations in detention. Because the agreement only applies at official border crossings, many refugees have been forced to cross the border in between ports of entry, sometimes in perilous conditions. Withdrawing from STCA would ensure that Canada meets is legal obligations under the Charter and international law, and would end the need for irregular crossings.
The legal challenge has a long history; twice the Federal Court has found the STCA violated refugee claimants’ Charter rights and twice the Federal Court of Appeal has overturned the decision on technical grounds. Canada’s highest court will be reviewing the rights-violating Agreement for the first time.
