Canada will guarantee border officials know People can travel for abortion: Mendicino – National

Public Security Minister Marco Mendicino says he will likely be speaking with the Canada Border Companies Agency to make sure its employees know Individuals seeking abortions can come to Canada for care.

Speaking with reporters on Wednesday, Mendicino stated folks within the U.S. may be feeling doubt about whether they'll be able to access abortion if Roe v. Wade is overturned, as a leaked draft ruling from the U.S. Supreme Court docket instructed earlier this week is imminent.

NEW: Minister @marcomendicino says he’s speaking with @CanBorder to ensure there are clear guidelines so Individuals who may not be capable to access an abortion can come to Canada to take action. Says means to take action isn’t in question however he wants to verify issues are clear. pic.twitter.com/qEqVQuUKJT

— Abigail Bimman (@AbigailBimman) May 4, 2022

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Mendicino said the power of People to come back to Canada for abortions shouldn't be in query, however he wants to ensure that position is obvious to these working on the frontlines on the border.

“I’ve engaged CBSA, my workplace is presently working with them to make sure there are clear pointers so that women who may not be able to access healthcare including abortions are capable of come to Canada,” he stated.

“If some women want to come to Canada to access these procedures, I have 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 officers might have as as to whether somebody travelling to Canada for an abortion is eligible to enter the country.

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What is unclear at the moment is whether any info on these individuals can be shared with American regulation enforcement or state officials seeking to prosecute folks for travelling for an abortion, as some specialists have instructed may very well be next if Roe v. Wade falls.

Canada and the U.S. have extensive cross-border knowledge sharing agreements designed to make it simpler to flag individuals who may pose a danger to national safety, or who are violating immigration rules.

Alexander Cohen, director of communications for Mendicino’s workplace, mentioned the government does not share general info concerning the purpose of journey for Americans coming to Canada, “and that would come with those who come to Canada for reproductive health functions.”

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Could Canada turn into an abortion 'safe haven'?

In the context of abortion rights, jurisdictions that provide access to these outside their borders are sometimes called “safe havens.”

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States like California have vowed to enshrine abortion entry more strongly in their laws within the wake of the leaked U.S. Supreme Courtroom draft ruling on Roe v. Wade, whereas specialists are also elevating the chance that for People near the Canadian border, this country may grow to be their nearest safe haven.

Learn more: Roe v. Wade draft ruling places U.S. abortion rights in crosshairs. Right here’s what to know

“I feel the large challenges for Canadians are going to be ongoing access to abortion if Canada turns into a safe haven of Individuals,” stated Dr. Dustin Costescu, an associate professor at McMaster University as well as a family planning and sexual health specialist.

Costescu said all the information obtainable right now suggests there will stay abortion entry in a variety of states along the Japanese Seaboard if Roe v. Wade falls, together with New York.

That may mean Ontario, Quebec and the Maritimes might not see a “important” level of spillover.

“Michigan, alternatively, turns into a little bit of a hot spot when it comes to whether or not abortion is accessible. As we transfer 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 considered ‘frontier country.’ These are massive 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 access differs across U.S. — and how overturning Roe v. Wade might change it

Autumn Reinhardt-Simpson is the founder of the Alberta Abortion Access Community, and works as what’s often known as an abortion doula. Meaning her job helps people who want abortions entry them.

The assist she and other abortion doulas offer contains help arranging travel, pickup and drop-off at sexual well being clinics or abortion clinics, assist arranging lodging if a person has to go away their residence group to get the abortion, assist accessing correct information, in addition to emotional support.

She informed World News on Tuesday that resources in lots of elements of her province are already stretched.

“Access in Alberta is healthier than some locations, however still not nice,” she said. “We nonetheless have a tough time getting people in rural areas into the cities for their appointments, especially as a result of there are so few medical doctors which can be but prescribing abortion remedy.”

Reinhardt-Simpson said an influx of people coming north might add to these challenges.

“We’re not really equipped for coping with Albertans who need abortion care. We can not even provide complete well being providers for ladies or trans and non-binary people in our personal province,” she mentioned.

“So for certain, if folks did come up here in giant numbers, there would be a very huge problem.”

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