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

Public Security Minister Marco Mendicino says he can be talking with the Canada Border Services Company to make sure its staff know Individuals seeking abortions can come to Canada for care.

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

NEW: Minister @marcomendicino says he’s speaking with @CanBorder to make sure there are clear tips so Individuals who might not be capable of access an abortion can come to Canada to take action. Says potential to take action isn’t in question but he desires to make sure issues are clear. pic.twitter.com/qEqVQuUKJT

— Abigail Bimman (@AbigailBimman) May 4, 2022

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Mendicino said the power of People to return to Canada for abortions shouldn't be in query, however he wants to be sure that position is obvious to these working on the frontlines at the border.

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

“If some girls wish 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” within the occasion Roe v. Wade is overturned and described the hope as being to “eradicate any ambiguity” that border officers could have as as to if someone travelling to Canada for an abortion is eligible to enter the nation.

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What's unclear presently is whether any information on those people could be shared with American law enforcement or state officials seeking to prosecute people for travelling for an abortion, as some specialists have advised might be next if Roe v. Wade falls.

Canada and the U.S. have in depth cross-border information sharing agreements designed to make it simpler to flag individuals who could pose a threat to nationwide safety, or who're violating immigration guidelines.

Alexander Cohen, director of communications for Mendicino’s workplace, said the government does not share general data relating to the purpose of journey for People coming to Canada, “and that would include those who come to Canada for reproductive well being functions.”

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May Canada develop into an abortion 'safe haven'?

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

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States like California have vowed to enshrine abortion access more strongly of their laws in the wake of the leaked U.S. Supreme Court docket draft ruling on Roe v. Wade, while consultants are also raising the chance that for People near the Canadian border, this country might turn out to be their nearest protected haven.

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

“I think the massive challenges for Canadians are going to be ongoing access to abortion if Canada becomes a secure haven of Americans,” said Dr. Dustin Costescu, an affiliate professor at McMaster College in addition to a family planning and sexual well being specialist.

Costescu stated all the information obtainable proper now suggests there will stay abortion entry in a lot of states along the Jap Seaboard if Roe v. Wade falls, including New York.

That would imply Ontario, Quebec and the Maritimes might not see a “vital” level of spillover.

“Michigan, alternatively, turns into a bit of a hot spot by way of whether or not abortion is accessible. As we transfer westward into the U.S. Midwest, that’s the place we see pockets of states that can fall when Roe v Wade falls,” he added.

“Geographically, that is thought of ‘frontier nation.’ These are massive distances. But if people have to choose to go a whole lot of kilometers south or north [to access abortion], they could come up north.”

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

Autumn Reinhardt-Simpson is the founder of the Alberta Abortion Entry Community, and works as what’s often called an abortion doula. That means her job helps individuals who need abortions entry them.

The assist she and different abortion doulas supply includes help arranging travel, pickup and drop-off at sexual health clinics or abortion clinics, help arranging accommodations if an individual has to depart their house community to get the abortion, help accessing accurate information, as well as emotional assist.

She informed Global News on Tuesday that resources in lots of elements of her province are already stretched.

“Access in Alberta is better than some places, however still not great,” she mentioned. “We still have a hard time getting people in rural areas into the cities for their appointments, particularly as a result of there are so few medical doctors which can be but prescribing abortion medicine.”

Reinhardt-Simpson said an influx of people coming north may add to those challenges.

“We’re probably not geared up for dealing with Albertans who want abortion care. We cannot even provide complete health services for women or trans and non-binary individuals in our own province,” she said.

“So for certain, if individuals did come up here in massive numbers, there can be a very large downside.”

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