Canada will ensure border officers know People can travel for abortion: Mendicino – Nationwide

Public Security Minister Marco Mendicino says he shall be talking with the Canada Border Services Agency to make sure its staff know Americans seeking abortions can come to Canada for care.

Talking with reporters on Wednesday, Mendicino mentioned people in the U.S. could also be feeling doubt about whether or not they may have the ability to entry abortion if Roe v. Wade is overturned, as a leaked draft ruling from the U.S. Supreme Court docket recommended earlier this week is imminent.

NEW: Minister @marcomendicino says he’s speaking with @CanBorder to make sure there are clear tips so People who might not have the ability to entry an abortion can come to Canada to do so. Says skill to do so isn’t in question but he wants to make sure issues are clear. pic.twitter.com/qEqVQuUKJT

— Abigail Bimman (@AbigailBimman) May 4, 2022

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Mendicino said the ability of Americans to come to Canada for abortions is not in question, however he needs to make sure that position is evident to these working on the frontlines at the border.

“I’ve engaged CBSA, my office is at present working with them to make sure there are clear guidelines so that women who might not be capable to entry healthcare together with abortions are able to come to Canada,” he mentioned.

“If some girls want to come to Canada to entry those procedures, I've given them the directive to welcome them,” he added in French.

Mendicino billed the transfer as a “measure of caution” within the occasion Roe v. Wade is overturned and described the hope as being to “get rid of any ambiguity” that border officials could have as to whether someone travelling to Canada for an abortion is eligible to enter the nation.

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What's unclear at the moment is whether or not any information on those people can be shared with American legislation enforcement or state officials seeking to prosecute folks for travelling for an abortion, as some experts have suggested could possibly be subsequent if Roe v. Wade falls.

Canada and the U.S. have extensive cross-border data sharing agreements designed to make it easier to flag individuals who could pose a danger to national safety, or who're violating immigration guidelines.

Alexander Cohen, director of communications for Mendicino’s office, mentioned the government does not share normal information concerning the aim of journey for People coming to Canada, “and that would come with those that come to Canada for reproductive health purposes.”

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States like California have vowed to enshrine abortion access extra strongly in their legal guidelines in the wake of the leaked U.S. Supreme Courtroom draft ruling on Roe v. Wade, whereas experts are also elevating the possibility that for People near the Canadian border, this nation might turn out to be their nearest safe haven.

Read extra: Roe v. Wade draft ruling puts U.S. abortion rights in crosshairs. Right here’s what to know

“I feel the big challenges for Canadians are going to be ongoing entry to abortion if Canada turns into a safe haven of Individuals,” mentioned Dr. Dustin Costescu, an associate professor at McMaster College in addition to a household planning and sexual health specialist.

Costescu stated all the data accessible right now suggests there'll remain abortion access in plenty of states alongside the Jap Seaboard if Roe v. Wade falls, including New York.

That may imply Ontario, Quebec and the Maritimes could not see a “vital” degree of spillover.

“Michigan, however, becomes a little bit of a sizzling spot when it comes to whether abortion is accessible. As we move westward into the U.S. Midwest, that’s where we see pockets of states that will fall when Roe v Wade falls,” he added.

“Geographically, this is thought-about ‘frontier country.’ These are large distances. But when individuals have to choose to go a whole bunch of kilometers south or north [to access abortion], they might come up north.”

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Read more: How abortion entry differs throughout U.S. — and how overturning Roe v. Wade could change it

Autumn Reinhardt-Simpson is the founding father of the Alberta Abortion Access Community, and works as what’s generally known as an abortion doula. Meaning her job helps individuals who want abortions access them.

The support she and different abortion doulas supply includes help arranging journey, pickup and drop-off at sexual well being clinics or abortion clinics, help arranging lodging if a person has to leave their house group to get the abortion, help accessing correct info, in addition to emotional assist.

She informed World News on Tuesday that sources in many parts of her province are already stretched.

“Entry in Alberta is best than some locations, however still not great,” she stated. “We nonetheless have a hard time getting people in rural areas into the cities for their appointments, especially because there are so few docs which are but prescribing abortion medicine.”

Reinhardt-Simpson stated an influx of individuals coming north could add to those challenges.

“We’re not really outfitted for dealing with Albertans who need abortion care. We cannot even provide complete well being providers for ladies or trans and non-binary folks in our personal province,” she stated.

“So for positive, if folks did come up here in giant numbers, there can be a really large problem.”

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