Safe Third Country Agreement to stay, pledges immigration minister

As the debate over the futureof asylum seekers in Canada continues,Immigration Minister AhmedHussenhasonce again rejected calls to suspend the Safe Third Country Agreement, a pact which considers asylum-seekers to be safe in both Canada and the U.S.

"[The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees]supports our position and they've said very clearly the U.S. domestic asylum system provides due process both in Canada and the U.S.," said Hussenwhile at a citizenship ceremony in Vancouver.

"There's absolutely no need to tinker with the Safe Third Country Agreement."

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The RCMP hasarrested nearly half as many asylum seekersalreadythis year as they did in all of 2016. And, advocates for those asylum seekers warnthe agreement gives people incentive to cross irregularly, potentially putting themselves at harm.

"[The agreement]forces people to cross with their families.There are pregnant women that are crossing, children crossing in really dangerous situations where people are facing severe frostbite,"said HarshaWalia with refugee advocacy group No One is Illegal.

A question about the future of the act wasalso posed to Prime Minister Justin Trudeauon Wednesdaywhilein Winnipeg.

"We know how important it is that Canadians have integrity both in our borders and in the integrity of our immigration system," Trudeau said.

"That's why we are going to continue to work very, very carefully and thoughtfully with all partners to ensure that Canadians can continue to have confidence in our system."

The agreement was enacted in 2004 andrequires refugees to make an asylum claimin the first country they reach, preventingmost migrants from claiming asylum in Canada if they're coming from countries deemed to be safe, such as the United States.

However, the actonly applies at designated border crossings, giving migrants who cross irregularlythe opportunity to claim refugee status.