Good evening, everyone. Thank you for taking the time to listen to me today, and for the work you do on this committee.
In my research as a law professor over the past 10 years, I have focused on how certain rules, adopted to preserve the integrity of Canada's immigration system and to make it more efficient, have actually had the opposite effect of these objectives, in addition to negatively affecting the protection of migrants' rights in Canada.
The purpose of my presentation today is, first and foremost, to convince you that adopting more rules—in order to send a strong political message that something is being done to address the problem of the immigration system's abuse—often doesn't have the desired effect. Second, we need to think more broadly about the effects of these new rules, so that they don't put even more pressure on other sectors and don't shift the problem, in addition to contributing to insecurity for both migrants and Canadian communities.
Let me give you an example—the famous Safe Third Country Agreement—which we've already discussed and which you've heard about a number of times. I could give you other examples during the question and answer period, if necessary.
I want to begin by emphasizing that I agree with other stakeholders who have pointed out a number of issues regarding the violation of the human rights of migrants returned to the United States through the application of the Safe Third Country Agreement. I also believe that the situation has been particularly concerning since January 2025.
The government should focus on this situation and consider suspending the application of the agreement. I know this is a controversial topic for some of you, but the message I want you to take away is that, in addition to the human rights issues affecting migrants, there are also repercussions on the system's effectiveness and on the sense of security of communities living along the border, which is directly related to the committee's consultation.
Since the Safe Third Country Agreement was extended to the entire land border and since the closure of Roxham Road, which we heard about earlier, migrants have turned to other routes to come to Canada. Thus, on paper, the statistics available on the Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada's website indicate that irregular entries have decreased. However, in reality, clandestine entries by people who no longer present themselves to the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, the RCMP, as was the case before the closure of Roxham Road, have increased. This fact has actually been documented by the RCMP itself and reported in a number of media outlets.
I have begun a research project with a doctoral student examining how the Safe Third Country Agreement and increased border security have significant humanitarian and security implications for the cross-border community of the Regional County Municipality, or RCM, of Coaticook, in the Eastern Townships. Our preliminary data indicates that there has been an increase in illegal border crossings in the region. As you may have heard in the media, a person was even found dead in the woods. The news was reported this past March, but the person died last year. This type of incident had never occurred before 2023. It puts additional strain on local resources, in addition to creating a sense of fear among the population.
The fact that Canada, under Bill C‑12, which you have heard about, is unilaterally removing the 14‑day rule for locating immigrants only amplifies this phenomenon. This is a glaring example of an attempt to reduce pressure on the asylum system and protect its integrity, but which, in reality, adds pressure asymmetrically: Rules are added at the federal level, but the pressure is felt locally, within the RCM. This pressure is also felt in terms of the resources and security measures put in place at the border and in border communities, while increasing insecurity for both the community and migrants.
A number of stakeholders have highlighted bureaucratic issues, such as a lack of coordination and delays in application processing. The previous panel talked about that. I think these are the real issues that need to be addressed.