Canada will ensure border officials know People 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 staff know Americans in search of abortions can come to Canada for care.

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

NEW: Minister @marcomendicino says he’s speaking with @CanBorder to verify there are clear guidelines so People who may not have the ability to access an abortion can come to Canada to do so. Says skill to do so isn’t in query but he wants to make sure issues are clear. pic.twitter.com/qEqVQuUKJT

— Abigail Bimman (@AbigailBimman) May 4, 2022

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Mendicino said the flexibility of Americans to come to Canada for abortions just isn't in question, however he desires to guarantee that position is evident to these working on the frontlines at the border.

“I’ve engaged CBSA, my workplace is at the moment working with them to make sure there are clear tips so that ladies who might not be capable of entry healthcare including abortions are able to come to Canada,” he said.

“If some girls want to come to Canada to access these procedures, I have given them the directive to welcome them,” he added in French.

Mendicino billed the move as a “measure of warning” within the occasion Roe v. Wade is overturned and described the hope as being to “remove any ambiguity” that border officers could have as as to whether someone travelling to Canada for an abortion is eligible to enter the country.

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What's unclear presently is whether or not any information on those individuals can be shared with American law enforcement or state officials seeking to prosecute individuals for travelling for an abortion, as some consultants have advised could be next if Roe v. Wade falls.

Canada and the U.S. have extensive cross-border knowledge sharing agreements designed to make it simpler to flag people who may pose a danger to nationwide safety, or who're violating immigration rules.

Alexander Cohen, director of communications for Mendicino’s workplace, mentioned the federal government doesn't share normal info regarding the aim of journey for Individuals coming to Canada, “and that would come with those who come to Canada for reproductive health purposes.”

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Within the context of abortion rights, jurisdictions that present access to these outdoors their borders are sometimes called “safe havens.”

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States like California have vowed to enshrine abortion access extra strongly in their laws in the wake of the leaked U.S. Supreme Court docket draft ruling on Roe v. Wade, while specialists are additionally raising the likelihood that for Individuals near the Canadian border, this country might turn into their nearest secure haven.

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

“I think the massive challenges for Canadians are going to be ongoing access to abortion if Canada becomes a secure haven of Americans,” mentioned Dr. Dustin Costescu, an affiliate professor at McMaster College in addition to a family planning and sexual well being specialist.

Costescu said all the knowledge obtainable proper now suggests there'll stay abortion access in plenty of states alongside the Jap Seaboard if Roe v. Wade falls, including New York.

That might mean Ontario, Quebec and the Maritimes could not see a “significant” level of spillover.

“Michigan, alternatively, becomes a little bit of a sizzling spot when it comes to 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 when folks have to decide on to go hundreds of kilometers south or north [to access abortion], they could come up north.”

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Learn extra: How abortion access differs across U.S. — and how overturning Roe v. Wade might change it

Autumn Reinhardt-Simpson is the founder of the Alberta Abortion Access Network, and works as what’s often called an abortion doula. Which means her job helps individuals who need abortions entry them.

The assist she and other abortion doulas supply includes assist arranging journey, pickup and drop-off at sexual health clinics or abortion clinics, assist arranging accommodations if an individual has to go away their residence community to get the abortion, assist accessing correct info, in addition to emotional help.

She informed Global News on Tuesday that assets in lots of components of her province are already stretched.

“Entry in Alberta is healthier than some locations, but still not great,” she said. “We still have a hard time getting people in rural areas into the cities for their appointments, particularly as a result of there are so few doctors which are yet prescribing abortion medication.”

Reinhardt-Simpson said an influx of individuals coming north might add to these challenges.

“We’re probably not equipped for coping with Albertans who want abortion care. We cannot even present comprehensive health companies for girls or trans and non-binary people in our own province,” she stated.

“So for sure, if individuals did come up right here in large numbers, there can be a really huge downside.”

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