Third Country Agreement Regulations Do Not Violate Refugee Rights - Canadian Supreme Court

The Supreme Court of Canada ruled on Friday that the designation of the United States as a "safe third country" does not violate refugees' rights to liberty and security

WASHINGTON (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 16th June, 2023) The Supreme Court of Canada ruled on Friday that the designation of the United States as a "safe third country" does not violate refugees' rights to liberty and security.

The United States and Canadian signed the Safe Third Country Agreement (STCA) in 2002. The STCA stipulates refugees must seek the protection of the first country in which they arrived after leaving their countries of origin.

"Writing for a unanimous Court, Justice (Nicholas) Kasirer said the Regulations designating the United States as a safe third county for the purposes of the STCA does not breach Section 7 of the Charter," the decision said. "As such, he concluded the designation of the United States engages interests of liberty and security for the person set out in section 7."

Kasirer dismissed the appeal made under Section 7 of the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms and returned the appeal under Section 15 to the Federal court for proper determination, the decision said.

In 2017, a group of public interest litigants and refugee status claimants, who first arrived at United States land-ports of entry and were denied protection in Canada, said that the Canadian authorities' decision violated Section 7 and 15 of the Charter of Rights and Freedoms.

The claimants argued that under Section 7, the Canadian authorities did not take into consideration whether their rights would be respected by being sent back to the United States.

The claimants added that the Canadian authorities' decision violated the guarantee of equality under Section 15, because women who face gender-based violence are often denied refugee status in the United States.