u.s .,: Country and Law Underpinning

u.s .,: Under the agreement, which took effect in 2004, Canada and the U.S. recognize each other as safe places to seek protection, according to CTV. It means Canada can turn back potential refugees who arrive at land ports of entry along the Canada-U.S. border on the basis they must pursue their claims in the U.S., the country where they first arrived. In a keenly awaited ruling, Federal Court Justice Ann Marie McDonald said Wednesday that elements of the law underpinning the Safe Third Country Agreement violate the constitutional guarantee of life, liberty and security. Canadian refugee advocates have vigorously fought the deal, arguing the U.S. is not always a safe country for people fleeing persecution. Mary-Liz Power, a spokeswoman for Public Safety Minister Bill Blair, said the government was reviewing the ruling. The judge's declaration of invalidity is suspended for six months, leaving the law in place until mid-January and giving the Trudeau government time to respond to the court ruling. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.