Public Safety Minister Marco Mendicino says he will be speaking with the Canada Border Services Agency to make sure its staff know Americans seeking abortions can come to Canada for care.
Speaking with reporters on Wednesday, Mendicino said people in the U.S. may be feeling doubt about whether they will be able to access abortion if Roe v. Wade is overturned, as a leaked draft ruling from the U.S. Supreme Court suggested earlier this week is imminent.
Mendicino said the ability of Americans to come to Canada for abortions is not in question, but he wants to make sure that position is clear to those working on the frontlines at the border.
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“I’ve engaged CBSA, my office is currently working with them to make sure there are clear guidelines so that women who may not be able to access healthcare including abortions are able to come to Canada,” he said.
“If some women want to come to Canada to access those procedures, I have given them the directive to welcome them,” he added in French.
Mendicino billed the move as a “measure of caution” in the event Roe v. Wade is overturned and described the hope as being to “eliminate any ambiguity” that border officials may have as to whether someone travelling to Canada for an abortion is eligible to enter the country.
What is unclear at this time is whether any information on those individuals would be shared with American law enforcement or state officials looking to prosecute people for travelling for an abortion, as some experts have suggested 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 may pose a risk to national security, or who are violating immigration rules.
Global News has asked Mendicino’s office for clarity on the matter.
More to come.
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