The United States and Canada have reportedly reached an agreement that will allow border officials to turn back asylum seekers heading north across their shared border without considering their petitions for sanctuary, sparking outcry from immigrant groups.

US and Canadian media outlets reported the tentative agreement on Thursday, as US President Joe Biden visits the Canadian capital of Ottawa for his first official visit to the country since taking office in early 2021.

Biden and Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau are expected to confirm the agreement on Friday.

In a press release, Canada’s Migrant Rights Network condemned the action, calling it “unprincipled and dangerous” and stating that it would “force migrants to take even more dangerous routes” as they seek refuge.

Immigration rights groups have accused both leaders of reneging on their obligations to asylum seekers, as the US and Canada commit to more restrictive measures to turn back refugees amid attacks from conservative politicians.

The reported agreement expands a policy known as the Safe Third Country Agreement (STCA). The agreement maintains that the US and Canada are both safe countries for refugees and that refugees must apply for asylum in whichever country they arrive in first.

Under that policy, Canada is able to turn away asylum seekers at official ports of entry along the US border without considering their petitions.

However, people could still apply for asylum if they reached Canadian soil. About 39,000 people entered Canada last year through unofficial crossings such as Roxham Road, a dirt path between the US state of New York and Canada’s province of Quebec, which has become a symbol of the debate over the country’s immigration policies.

The agreement, first signed in 2002 and in effect since 2004, has been controversial since its

inception, with rights groups in Canada petitioning to ease the policy or do away with it altogether. Instead, the Trudeau administration has sought to defend â€` and now expand â€` its use.

In the interim, the government has transferred asylum seekers out of Quebec to other provinces to distribute the challenges more evenly.

The STCA has also faced persistent legal challenges and has been struck down twice by courts. Twice, appeals courts have upheld the policy, which is now being weighed by Canada’s Supreme Court, where advocacy groups hope it will be ruled unconstitutional.

Such groups have also questioned the premise that the US is a safe destination for refugees amid reports of poor conditions in US immigration detention centres.

“Canada has an international reputation as a country with a history of assisting refugees,” said Jamie Liew, an immigration expert at the University of Ottawa.

“We have a system for determining refugee claims that is considered the gold standard. Why not let it work? If we opened our official ports of entry, people could cross smoothly and with dignity.”

Experts also note that the tide of people fleeing desperate circumstances is unlikely to ebb anytime soon, especially as climate change drives displacement, particularly in poorer countries.

According to the United Nations Refugee Agency, more than 100 million people were forced to flee their homes in 2022.

The year before, nearly 5 million people left their countries to seek asylum.

“What Canada faces is a drop in the bucket compared to other countries,” said Liew. “We have an obligation to allow people to make refugee claims.”

www.Samigration.com V.4749

One of the highlighted topics: Critical Skills Visa.

- Key Insight: Is your profession on the Critical Skills List? This visa is your fast track to working in South Afr...
- This matter relates to critical skills visa and its broader implications.
- Individuals are advised to seek professional guidance.

Is your profession on the Critical Skills List? This visa is your fast trac V.6139
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One of the applicants, Phindile Mazibuko, became a victim of identity theft in 2012 when fraudulent transactions occurred, using her personal details.

-The Pretoria High Court found that the department of home affairs had violated constitutional rights without due process.
-Only half of Lawyers for Human Rights` test group has been unblocked, while 385 000 identities remain blocked nationwide.
-LHR appeals extension, urges affected people to seek help now.

Lawyers for Human Rights (LHR) are intensifying pressure on the department of home affairs over the national ID-blocking crisis, accusing the state of acting too slowly to unblock qualifying individuals despite a landmark court ruling.

In January last year, the Pretoria High Court found that the department`s practice of blocking IDs without due process was unlawful and unconstitutional. One of the applicants, Phindile Mazibuko, a Swati citizen and South African permanent resident since 1998, fell victim to identity theft in 2012 when fraudsters used her personal details.

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The Border Management Authority (BMA) has doubled its staff at Airports in South Africa , including immigration officers.

What does this mean for travelers? V.6128
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The Border Management Authority (BMA) has doubled its staff at Airports in South Africa , including immigration officers.

What does this mean for travelers? V.6129
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A Washington state mother and her 6-year-old son have been released after spending more than three weeks in US immigration detention due to a brief trip to Canada and a small paperwork mistake, her attorney told CNN on Saturday.

Sarah Shaw, a New Zealand citizen who has lived legally in the US since she arrived in 2021, was detained at the Blaine, Washington, Customs and Border Protection checkpoint when returning home after dropping her two oldest children off at the Vancouver airport for a flight to visit their grandparents in New Zealand. Shaw, 33, chose the flight out of Vancouver because it was direct and she didn`t want her children to have to navigate a layover alone, her attorney Minda Thorward, told CNN.

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On 22 July 2025, the Gauteng High Court dismissed Sitrusrand Boerdery`s review of the Department of Employment and Labour`s refusal to issue a Working Conditions and Salary Benchmarking Certificate, an essential precondition for obtaining corporate visas under the Immigration Act.

Acting Judge Kekana AJ held that the Department`s decision was lawful, rational and procedurally fair. This judgment illustrates how businesses can - and must - structure their corporate visa applications to meet statutory requirements, and how legal practitioners should prepare robust review challenges when administrative authorities decline to recommend foreign-work permits.

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The United States could forfeit an estimated 9.4 billion dollars in visitor spending over the next three years following the introduction of a new 250 dollars `visa integrity fee,` according to industry groups, who warn the policy risks undermining tourism and costing thousands of jobs.
The United States’ decision to introduce a 250 dollars `visa integrity fee` on international visitors has triggered sharp criticism from the global tourism industry, with officials warning that the measure could deter millions of travellers and cost the U.S. economy billions.
The 250dollar `visa integrity fee,` part of the One Big Beautiful Bill Act signed on July 4, 2025, will take effect later this year. According to immigration law firm Envoy Global, it applies to all nonimmigrant visa holders which include students, tourists, temporary workers, and business visitors particularly from African countries. V.6132
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The Border Management Authority (BMA) has doubled its staff at Airports in South Africa , including immigration officers.

What does this mean for travelers? V.6127
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1. Right to Legal Representation•You have the right to consult with a legal representative.•Contact an immigration practitioner, legal aid clinic, or attorney urgently.•Do not sign any documents without understanding them fully. 2. Section 34 of the Immigration Act•You must be brought to court with 48 hours to confirm arrest but you can remain locked up very long as courts figure out what to do with you •If you`re found to be illegally in South Africa, you may be detained for up to 30 days (extendable by a magistrate) pending deportation.•BUT this cannot happen arbitrarily. You must be informed of your rights, and Home Affairs must follow due process.- becomes a nightmare , you could lose your job , business , place to stay V.6121
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Driving for Bolt, Uber, Mr D, or Checkers Sixty60?If you`re undocumented, you`re risking more than just your income.The Risks if You`re Not Legal: - Vehicle impoundment - Heavy fines - Arrest & deportation - Permanent bans from working in SA V.6122
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