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

Public Safety Minister Marco Mendicino says he can be talking with the Canada Border Providers Agency to ensure its workers know Americans seeking abortions can come to Canada for care.

Talking with reporters on Wednesday, Mendicino said people in the U.S. may be feeling doubt about whether they may be capable to entry abortion if Roe v. Wade is overturned, as a leaked draft ruling from the U.S. Supreme Court docket urged earlier this week is imminent.

NEW: Minister @marcomendicino says he’s talking with @CanBorder to ensure there are clear guidelines so Americans who may not be capable to entry an abortion can come to Canada to do so. Says capability to do so isn’t in question but he wants to make sure issues are clear. pic.twitter.com/qEqVQuUKJT

— Abigail Bimman (@AbigailBimman) May 4, 2022

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Mendicino stated the flexibility of Individuals to return to Canada for abortions just isn't in query, however he wants to be sure that place is clear to those engaged on the frontlines on the border.

“I’ve engaged CBSA, my workplace is currently working with them to verify there are clear tips so that women who might not be able to access healthcare together with abortions are able to come to Canada,” he stated.

“If some women wish to come to Canada to entry these procedures, I have given them the directive to welcome them,” he added in French.

Mendicino billed the transfer as a “measure of warning” within the event Roe v. Wade is overturned and described the hope as being to “eradicate any ambiguity” that border officers could 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 presently is whether any information on these individuals would be shared with American law enforcement or state officials looking to prosecute folks for travelling for an abortion, as some consultants have urged could be subsequent if Roe v. Wade falls.

Canada and the U.S. have extensive cross-border knowledge sharing agreements designed to make it easier to flag individuals who might pose a threat to nationwide safety, or who're violating immigration rules.

Alexander Cohen, director of communications for Mendicino’s office, said the federal government doesn't share general data concerning the purpose of travel for People coming to Canada, “and that would include those that come to Canada for reproductive well being functions.”

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In the context of abortion rights, jurisdictions that provide entry to these exterior their borders are sometimes called “safe havens.”

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States like California have vowed to enshrine abortion access more strongly of their legal guidelines in the wake of the leaked U.S. Supreme Courtroom draft ruling on Roe v. Wade, while specialists are additionally elevating the chance that for Individuals close to the Canadian border, this country may develop into their nearest protected haven.

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

“I believe the large challenges for Canadians are going to be ongoing entry to abortion if Canada turns into a safe haven of Americans,” stated Dr. Dustin Costescu, an affiliate professor at McMaster University in addition to a family planning and sexual health specialist.

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

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

“Michigan, on the other hand, turns into a little bit of a sizzling spot by way of whether or not abortion is accessible. As we move 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, this is thought of ‘frontier country.’ These are giant distances. But if individuals have to decide on to go a whole bunch of kilometers south or north [to access abortion], they could come up north.”

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Read extra: How abortion entry differs across U.S. — and how overturning Roe v. Wade may change it

Autumn Reinhardt-Simpson is the founder of the Alberta Abortion Entry Network, and works as what’s known as an abortion doula. Meaning her job helps individuals who need abortions entry them.

The assist she and other abortion doulas supply consists of help arranging travel, pickup and drop-off at sexual health clinics or abortion clinics, help arranging accommodations if a person has to leave their residence neighborhood to get the abortion, assist accessing correct data, in addition to emotional help.

She instructed Global News on Tuesday that sources in lots of elements of her province are already stretched.

“Entry in Alberta is healthier than some locations, but still not nice,” she mentioned. “We still have a hard time getting people in rural areas into the cities for his or her appointments, particularly as a result of there are so few docs that are yet prescribing abortion medication.”

Reinhardt-Simpson mentioned an inflow of people coming north could add to these challenges.

“We’re probably not equipped for coping with Albertans who want abortion care. We can not even provide complete well being companies for ladies or trans and non-binary individuals in our own province,” she stated.

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

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