Seekers: Asylum Seekers

seekers: The committee is holding an emergency meeting in the dead of summer at the urging of opposition members to study the issue of asylum seekers at the border, according to National Observer. Canada's Safe Third Country agreement with the U.S. stipulates that asylum seekers are required to make their claims in the first safe country where they arrive meaning those who come into Canada at an official land crossing are sent back to make their claim in the U.S. The agreement does not cover irregular or illegal asylum seekers those entering Canada at unofficial points, most notably in Quebec. But no matter how a person arrives in Canada, the individual must be given a fair hearing to determine whether they require protection, Goodale said during a House of Commons immigration committee meeting Tuesday. ; From the moment asylum seekers started crossing into Canada from the U.S. in significant numbers, the federal government has made sure that laws are followed and international obligations are met, he added. According to the most recent numbers, the RCMP intercepted 1,263 people at the border in June, which is down from 1,869 in May. During the committee meeting, she pressed the government about extending the Safe Third Country agreement to the entire border. Conservative immigration critic Michelle Rempel is urging the Liberals to come up with a better plan to deal with the asylum seekers. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.