Canada will guarantee border officials know People can travel for abortion: Mendicino – National

Public Security Minister Marco Mendicino says he might be talking with the Canada Border Services Agency to make sure its workers know Individuals searching for abortions can come to Canada for care.

Talking with reporters on Wednesday, Mendicino said individuals in the U.S. could also be feeling doubt about whether or not they may be capable of entry abortion if Roe v. Wade is overturned, as a leaked draft ruling from the U.S. Supreme Court docket steered earlier this week is imminent.

NEW: Minister @marcomendicino says he’s talking with @CanBorder to make sure there are clear tips so Individuals who may not be capable of 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 things are clear. pic.twitter.com/qEqVQuUKJT

— Abigail Bimman (@AbigailBimman) May 4, 2022

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Mendicino mentioned the ability of Americans to come back to Canada for abortions shouldn't be in query, but he wants to make sure that place is obvious to those engaged on the frontlines at the border.

“I’ve engaged CBSA, my office is presently working with them to make sure there are clear tips so that ladies who could not have the ability to entry healthcare including abortions are capable of come to Canada,” he mentioned.

“If some girls need to come to Canada to entry these procedures, I've given them the directive to welcome them,” he added in French.

Mendicino billed the transfer as a “measure of warning” in the event Roe v. Wade is overturned and described the hope as being to “get rid of any ambiguity” that border officers may have as as to if somebody travelling to Canada for an abortion is eligible to enter the country.

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What is unclear right now is whether or not any data on those people can be shared with American law enforcement or state officers looking to prosecute people for travelling for an abortion, as some experts have instructed could be next if Roe v. Wade falls.

Canada and the U.S. have extensive cross-border data sharing agreements designed to make it simpler to flag individuals who may pose a threat to nationwide security, or who are violating immigration rules.

Alexander Cohen, director of communications for Mendicino’s workplace, said the federal government does not share basic information relating to the purpose of journey for Individuals coming to Canada, “and that would come with those that come to Canada for reproductive health purposes.”

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Within the context of abortion rights, jurisdictions that present access to these exterior 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 experts are also raising the chance that for Americans close to the Canadian border, this country may develop into their nearest safe haven.

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

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

Costescu said all the knowledge available proper now suggests there will stay abortion access in various states alongside the Japanese Seaboard if Roe v. Wade falls, together with New York.

That will imply Ontario, Quebec and the Maritimes could not see a “vital” degree of spillover.

“Michigan, then again, becomes a bit of a sizzling spot in terms of whether abortion is accessible. As we move westward into the U.S. Midwest, that’s the place we see pockets of states that will fall when Roe v Wade falls,” he added.

“Geographically, that is thought of ‘frontier nation.’ These are giant distances. But if people have to decide on to go tons of of kilometers south or north [to access abortion], they may come up north.”

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Read extra: How abortion access differs throughout U.S. — and the way overturning Roe v. Wade could change it

Autumn Reinhardt-Simpson is the founding father of the Alberta Abortion Access Network, and works as what’s referred to as an abortion doula. Which means her job helps individuals who want abortions access them.

The assist she and different abortion doulas offer contains help arranging travel, pickup and drop-off at sexual well being clinics or abortion clinics, assist arranging lodging if an individual has to depart their home group to get the abortion, help accessing correct info, in addition to emotional support.

She told World Information on Tuesday that sources in many parts of her province are already stretched.

“Access in Alberta is healthier than some locations, but nonetheless not great,” she said. “We still have a hard time getting individuals in rural areas into the cities for his or her appointments, especially because there are so few docs which are yet prescribing abortion medication.”

Reinhardt-Simpson said an inflow of individuals coming north may add to those challenges.

“We’re not really equipped for coping with Albertans who need abortion care. We cannot even provide comprehensive health services for girls or trans and non-binary individuals in our own province,” she stated.

“So for sure, if individuals did come up right here in giant numbers, there can be a very huge drawback.”

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