On Monday, the leader of the Parti Québécois, Jean-François Lisée, said that a second camp for migrants in Saint-Bernard-de-Lacolle was set up by the army. “Quebeckers are against a regularization of Illegal passage,” and that “an independent Quebec would enforce its border “.
Mr. Lisée made the remarks on his Twitter account, publishing a link to an article on the mass influx of asylum seekers, largely of Haitian origin, away from border crossings.
Because of their irregular border crossings, they were intercepted by the Royal Canadian Mounted Police and taken to the Saint-Bernard-de-Lacolle border crossing.
Les Québécois st contre qu'on régularise un passage illégal. Un Québec indépendant ferait respecter sa frontière. https://t.co/ufACSE4rRF
— Jean-François Lisée (@JFLisee) August 14, 2017
Prime Minister Philippe Couillard argued that Mr. Lise changed his position “as the wind and the tactics of the day”. According to a statement issued by the Prime Minister’s Office, Mr. Couillard said that Mr. Lisee, “just five days ago,” wanted to offer work permits to all asylum seekers.
“Now, in his tweet, he argues that an asylum seeker is an immigrant who makes an illegal crossing of the border. (…) Mr. Lisée suggests that an independent Quebec, controlling its borders, would return asylum seekers. Consequently, an independent Quebec, under a PQ regime, would not respect international conventions with regard to asylum seekers whom it considers since today as illegal immigrants, “said Mr. Couillard.
The PQ leader had sent a letter to the premiers of Quebec and Canada last Friday urging them to suspend the Canada-US Safe Third Country Agreement “to put an end to this irregular situation”. The Canadian border.
La mauvaise entente de pays tiers sûrs oblige les demandeurs d'asile à commettre un geste illégal en passant par là. C'est indigne. https://t.co/76wxo559bO
— Jean-François Lisée (@JFLisee) August 14, 2017
Under the Safe Third Country Agreement, refugees have to seek asylum in the first of the two countries where they arrive - in the case of several migrants, the United States. If they try to legally go to Canada, they are turned back to the first country where they applied for asylum. But if they cross the border illegally, they can apply for refugee status in Canada.
At a press conference at the close of the Quebec Liberal Party youth congress on Sunday afternoon, Mr. Couillard said that such a decision on the Canada-US agreement would have a negative impact on the Canada and Quebec.
On Twitter, on Monday, Lise also said: “The bad deal of safe third countries forces asylum seekers to commit an illegal act through it. It’s unworthy. “
