Canada will ensure border officers know Individuals can travel for abortion: Mendicino – Nationwide

Public Safety Minister Marco Mendicino says he shall be speaking with the Canada Border Providers Agency to ensure its staff know Individuals looking for abortions can come to Canada for care.

Speaking with reporters on Wednesday, Mendicino mentioned people within the U.S. could also be feeling doubt about whether they may be able to entry abortion if Roe v. Wade is overturned, as a leaked draft ruling from the U.S. Supreme Court prompt earlier this week is imminent.

NEW: Minister @marcomendicino says he’s talking with @CanBorder to make sure there are clear pointers so People who could not be capable of entry an abortion can come to Canada to do so. Says capacity to take action isn’t in query but he desires to make sure issues are clear. pic.twitter.com/qEqVQuUKJT

— Abigail Bimman (@AbigailBimman) May 4, 2022

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Mendicino stated the ability of Individuals to come to Canada for abortions will not be in question, however he wants to make sure that position is clear to those engaged on the frontlines on the border.

“I’ve engaged CBSA, my office is at the moment working with them to make sure there are clear guidelines so that ladies who may not be able to entry healthcare including abortions are able to come to Canada,” he stated.

“If some ladies need to come to Canada to entry 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 “eradicate any ambiguity” that border officials 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 right now is whether any info on those people would be shared with American law enforcement or state officials looking to prosecute individuals for travelling for an abortion, as some consultants have prompt could be next 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 risk to national safety, or who're violating immigration guidelines.

Alexander Cohen, director of communications for Mendicino’s office, said the federal government doesn't share common information regarding the purpose of journey for Americans coming to Canada, “and that would come with those who come to Canada for reproductive well being functions.”

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Within the context of abortion rights, jurisdictions that provide entry to those outside their borders are sometimes called “secure havens.”

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States like California have vowed to enshrine abortion entry more strongly in their legal guidelines within the wake of the leaked U.S. Supreme Courtroom draft ruling on Roe v. Wade, whereas specialists are also raising the possibility that for Americans near the Canadian border, this nation could become their nearest safe haven.

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

“I feel the massive challenges for Canadians are going to be ongoing access to abortion if Canada turns into a protected haven of Individuals,” mentioned Dr. Dustin Costescu, an affiliate professor at McMaster University as well as a family planning and sexual well being specialist.

Costescu said all the data out there right now suggests there'll remain abortion entry in quite a lot of states alongside the Eastern Seaboard if Roe v. Wade falls, together with New York.

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

“Michigan, on the other hand, becomes a little bit of a sizzling spot by way of whether abortion is accessible. As we move westward into the U.S. Midwest, that’s where we see pockets of states that will fall when Roe v Wade falls,” he added.

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

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Read more: How abortion access differs throughout U.S. — and how overturning Roe v. Wade may change it

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

The help she and other abortion doulas provide includes help arranging travel, pickup and drop-off at sexual health clinics or abortion clinics, help arranging lodging if a person has to depart their house neighborhood to get the abortion, help accessing correct data, in addition to emotional support.

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

“Entry in Alberta is healthier than some locations, however still not nice,” she said. “We still have a tough time getting folks in rural areas into the cities for his or her appointments, especially as a result of there are so few docs which can be yet prescribing abortion treatment.”

Reinhardt-Simpson mentioned an influx of people coming north might add to these challenges.

“We’re probably not equipped for dealing with Albertans who need abortion care. We can not even present comprehensive well being providers for ladies or trans and non-binary people in our personal province,” she mentioned.

“So for positive, if folks did come up right here in large numbers, there can be a very huge drawback.”

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