Canada will ensure border officers know Americans can journey for abortion: Mendicino – National

Public Safety Minister Marco Mendicino says he will likely be talking with the Canada Border Providers Agency to verify its workers know Americans in search of abortions can come to Canada for care.

Talking with reporters on Wednesday, Mendicino stated individuals in the U.S. may be feeling doubt about whether or not they are going to be capable to entry abortion if Roe v. Wade is overturned, as a leaked draft ruling from the U.S. Supreme Court docket prompt earlier this week is imminent.

NEW: Minister @marcomendicino says he’s talking with @CanBorder to verify there are clear guidelines so People who could not have the ability to access an abortion can come to Canada to do so. Says ability to do so isn’t in question but he desires to ensure things 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 will not be in query, however he desires to guarantee that position is obvious to these engaged on the frontlines at the border.

“I’ve engaged CBSA, my workplace is presently working with them to verify there are clear pointers so that ladies who could not have the ability to entry healthcare together with abortions are in a position to come to Canada,” he stated.

“If some girls need to come to Canada to access 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 “eradicate any ambiguity” that border officials might have as as to if someone travelling to Canada for an abortion is eligible to enter the nation.

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What is unclear at this time is whether any information on these people would be shared with American law enforcement or state officers seeking to prosecute people for travelling for an abortion, as some consultants have steered could be next if Roe v. Wade falls.

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

Alexander Cohen, director of communications for Mendicino’s workplace, said the federal government does not share common information concerning the aim of travel for Americans coming to Canada, “and that would include those who come to Canada for reproductive health purposes.”

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Might Canada turn into an abortion 'safe haven'?

In the context of abortion rights, jurisdictions that provide entry to those outside their borders are often referred to as “protected havens.”

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States like California have vowed to enshrine abortion access more strongly in their laws within the wake of the leaked U.S. Supreme Courtroom draft ruling on Roe v. Wade, whereas experts are additionally elevating the chance that for Individuals close to the Canadian border, this nation might become their nearest secure haven.

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

“I think the large challenges for Canadians are going to be ongoing access to abortion if Canada becomes a safe haven of People,” stated Dr. Dustin Costescu, an associate professor at McMaster University in addition to a household planning and sexual well being specialist.

Costescu stated all the knowledge available proper now suggests there will stay abortion access in a number of states along the Jap Seaboard if Roe v. Wade falls, including New York.

That would imply Ontario, Quebec and the Maritimes could not see a “significant” stage of spillover.

“Michigan, alternatively, turns into a little bit of a hot spot in terms of whether or not abortion is accessible. As we transfer westward into the U.S. Midwest, that’s the place we see pockets of states that may fall when Roe v Wade falls,” he added.

“Geographically, that is considered ‘frontier country.’ These are large distances. But if folks 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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Learn more: How abortion access differs across U.S. — and how overturning Roe v. Wade may change it

Autumn Reinhardt-Simpson is the founding father of the Alberta Abortion Access Community, and works as what’s referred to as an abortion doula. Which means her job is helping individuals who need abortions access them.

The help she and other abortion doulas supply includes help arranging travel, pickup and drop-off at sexual well being clinics or abortion clinics, assist arranging accommodations if an individual has to depart their house community to get the abortion, help accessing accurate information, in addition to emotional help.

She told Global Information on Tuesday that assets in lots of elements of her province are already stretched.

“Access in Alberta is better than some places, but still not nice,” she said. “We nonetheless have a hard time getting folks in rural areas into the cities for his or her appointments, especially because there are so few doctors which might be but prescribing abortion medication.”

Reinhardt-Simpson said an inflow of individuals coming north might add to those challenges.

“We’re probably not geared up for coping with Albertans who want abortion care. We cannot even provide comprehensive health companies for ladies or trans and non-binary people in our personal province,” she mentioned.

“So for certain, if individuals did come up right here in massive numbers, there could be a very massive downside.”

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