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

Public Security Minister Marco Mendicino says he can be talking with the Canada Border Services Company to ensure its employees know Individuals looking for abortions can come to Canada for care.

Speaking with reporters on Wednesday, Mendicino mentioned people in the U.S. could also be feeling doubt about whether or not they are going to be capable to access 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 guidelines so Americans who may not be capable to access an abortion can come to Canada to do so. Says capability to do so isn’t in question but he needs to make sure issues are clear. pic.twitter.com/qEqVQuUKJT

— Abigail Bimman (@AbigailBimman) Could 4, 2022

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Mendicino said the ability of Individuals to come back to Canada for abortions is not in question, however he needs to be sure that position is clear to these engaged on the frontlines at the border.

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

“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 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 could have as to whether somebody travelling to Canada for an abortion is eligible to enter the nation.

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What is unclear at this time is whether any information on these people would be shared with American law enforcement or state officers looking to prosecute individuals for travelling for an abortion, as some experts have urged could possibly 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 individuals who could pose a danger to nationwide safety, or who're violating immigration guidelines.

Alexander Cohen, director of communications for Mendicino’s office, said the government doesn't share general information relating to the aim of journey for People coming to Canada, “and that would include those that come to Canada for reproductive health purposes.”

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Could Canada turn out to be an abortion 'protected haven'?

In the context of abortion rights, jurisdictions that provide access to those outside their borders are sometimes called “safe havens.”

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States like California have vowed to enshrine abortion access more strongly in their legal guidelines in the wake of the leaked U.S. Supreme Court docket draft ruling on Roe v. Wade, whereas experts are additionally raising the possibility that for People near the Canadian border, this nation may turn out to be their nearest protected haven.

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

“I feel the big challenges for Canadians are going to be ongoing entry to abortion if Canada becomes a protected haven of People,” mentioned Dr. Dustin Costescu, an associate professor at McMaster University in addition to a household planning and sexual health specialist.

Costescu mentioned all the information obtainable right now suggests there'll remain abortion access in a number of states alongside the Japanese Seaboard if Roe v. Wade falls, together with New York.

That will imply Ontario, Quebec and the Maritimes might not see a “important” stage of spillover.

“Michigan, however, 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 will fall when Roe v Wade falls,” he added.

“Geographically, this is thought of ‘frontier country.’ These are giant distances. But when individuals have to choose 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 entry differs across U.S. — and how 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 often called an abortion doula. Which means her job is helping individuals who want abortions entry them.

The support she and other abortion doulas provide consists of assist arranging travel, pickup and drop-off at sexual health clinics or abortion clinics, help arranging accommodations if an individual has to go away their residence group to get the abortion, help accessing correct information, in addition to emotional assist.

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

“Entry in Alberta is best than some locations, but nonetheless not great,” she said. “We nonetheless 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 might be but prescribing abortion treatment.”

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

“We’re not really equipped for coping with Albertans who want abortion care. We can't even provide comprehensive well being companies for girls or trans and non-binary individuals in our own province,” she stated.

“So for positive, if individuals did come up right here in giant numbers, there would be a very huge problem.”

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