(OTTAWA) The Trudeau government knew nothing of New York City’s program of offering free bus tickets to migrants, some of whom may have gone on to Roxham Road.
In Ottawa, we were taken aback by this information revealed Monday by the New York Postwhich the cabinet of New York Mayor Eric Adams later confirmed to Canadian media, according to Tuesday night The Press a federal government source.
This same source pointed out that discussions had taken place between representatives of the Canadian ambassador to the United States, Kirsten Hillman, and certain American interlocutors, Tuesday, in connection with this affair.
“Some want to go to Canada, some want to go to warmer states, and we’re here for them as they continue to follow that dream,” Mayor Adams said on Fox News. Monday.
“Those who are looking to go elsewhere we don’t push or force them, if they are looking to go elsewhere we help them with the re-ticketing process. We found that people had other destinations, but they only had to come to New York,” he said.
New York City offers free bus tickets to migrants who want to leave its territory, but there is nothing to suggest that it encourages them to go to Canada via Roxham Road, according to the words of the spokesperson for the megalopolis.
“Our goal is to help asylum seekers who wish to move to another location, to join friends and members of their family or community,” wrote Kate Smart, spokesperson for the City, on Monday.
Washington “disengages itself from its responsibility”
In the House of Commons, Bloc Québécois MP Alexis Brunelle-Duceppe tried to find out more about this affair.
“It has come to pass that the Americans are using this irregular route to free themselves from their own responsibility and are inviting refugees to leave for Quebec for reasons that are sometimes anything but humanitarian. What is the government waiting for to suspend the Safe Third Country Agreement? he asked.
The Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship, Sean Fraser, replied that the Liberals were continuing their “to modernize the agreement with the United States”.
With Suzanne Colpron, The Press
