Canada will ensure border officers know Americans can journey for abortion: Mendicino – Nationwide

Public Safety Minister Marco Mendicino says he will probably be talking with the Canada Border Providers Agency to ensure its employees know People looking for abortions can come to Canada for care.

Speaking with reporters on Wednesday, Mendicino stated individuals within the U.S. may be feeling doubt about whether they will be capable of access abortion if Roe v. Wade is overturned, as a leaked draft ruling from the U.S. Supreme Court docket prompt earlier this week is imminent.

NEW: Minister @marcomendicino says he’s talking with @CanBorder to verify there are clear guidelines so Individuals who might not be capable to access an abortion can come to Canada to take action. Says capacity to take action isn’t in question however he wants to make sure issues are clear. pic.twitter.com/qEqVQuUKJT

— Abigail Bimman (@AbigailBimman) Might 4, 2022

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Mendicino stated the power of Americans to return to Canada for abortions is not in query, however he wants to ensure that position is obvious to those engaged on the frontlines on the border.

“I’ve engaged CBSA, my office is currently working with them to ensure there are clear tips so that women who might not be capable to entry healthcare including abortions are in a position to come to Canada,” he mentioned.

“If some girls 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 warning” in the event Roe v. Wade is overturned and described the hope as being to “eliminate any ambiguity” that border officers may have as to whether someone travelling to Canada for an abortion is eligible to enter the nation.

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What is unclear presently is whether any info on those individuals would be shared with American legislation enforcement or state officials looking to prosecute people for travelling for an abortion, as some specialists have suggested may very well be subsequent if Roe v. Wade falls.

Canada and the U.S. have extensive cross-border information sharing agreements designed to make it easier to flag people who might pose a risk to nationwide security, or who are violating immigration guidelines.

Alexander Cohen, director of communications for Mendicino’s workplace, said the federal government does not share normal info concerning the purpose of travel for Individuals coming to Canada, “and that would include those that come to Canada for reproductive health functions.”

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Might Canada develop into an abortion 'safe haven'?

In the context of abortion rights, jurisdictions that provide entry to those outside their borders are often referred to as “secure 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, whereas consultants are also raising the likelihood that for Individuals near the Canadian border, this country might change into their nearest secure haven.

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

“I believe the big challenges for Canadians are going to be ongoing entry to abortion if Canada turns into a secure haven of People,” said Dr. Dustin Costescu, an affiliate professor at McMaster University in addition to a household planning and sexual well being specialist.

Costescu said all the information out there proper now suggests there will remain abortion access in plenty of states along the Eastern Seaboard if Roe v. Wade falls, including New York.

That may mean Ontario, Quebec and the Maritimes may not see a “important” degree of spillover.

“Michigan, alternatively, turns into a little bit of a scorching spot in terms of whether abortion is accessible. As we move westward into the U.S. Midwest, that’s where we see pockets of states that can fall when Roe v Wade falls,” he added.

“Geographically, this is thought-about ‘frontier nation.’ These are massive distances. But when individuals have to choose to go tons of of kilometers south or north [to access abortion], they might come up north.”

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

Autumn Reinhardt-Simpson is the founder of the Alberta Abortion Entry Network, and works as what’s generally known as an abortion doula. That means her job is helping people who want abortions entry them.

The support she and different abortion doulas supply contains help arranging journey, pickup and drop-off at sexual well being clinics or abortion clinics, assist arranging accommodations if an individual has to leave their house neighborhood to get the abortion, assist accessing correct info, in addition to emotional assist.

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

“Access in Alberta is healthier than some places, but nonetheless not nice,” she said. “We still have a tough time getting individuals in rural areas into the cities for their appointments, particularly as a result of there are so few medical doctors that are but prescribing abortion remedy.”

Reinhardt-Simpson stated an inflow of individuals coming north might add to these challenges.

“We’re probably not geared up for coping with Albertans who need abortion care. We can not even present complete health companies for women or trans and non-binary people in our own province,” she mentioned.

“So for sure, if folks did come up right here in massive numbers, there would be a very large downside.”

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