Canada will ensure border officials know Americans can journey for abortion: Mendicino – National

Public Safety Minister Marco Mendicino says he will likely be talking with the Canada Border Providers Company to verify its employees know Individuals seeking abortions can come to Canada for care.

Talking with reporters on Wednesday, Mendicino said folks within the U.S. could also be feeling doubt about whether they may be capable to access abortion if Roe v. Wade is overturned, as a leaked draft ruling from the U.S. Supreme Court docket urged earlier this week is imminent.

NEW: Minister @marcomendicino says he’s speaking with @CanBorder to ensure there are clear tips so People who could not be capable to access an abortion can come to Canada to do so. Says capacity to do so isn’t in question but he needs to make sure things are clear. pic.twitter.com/qEqVQuUKJT

— Abigail Bimman (@AbigailBimman) May 4, 2022

Story continues beneath commercial

Mendicino stated the power of People to come back to Canada for abortions shouldn't be in question, however he desires to be sure that position is obvious to those engaged on the frontlines at the border.

“I’ve engaged CBSA, my workplace is at present working with them to make sure there are clear pointers so that women who might not be capable to access healthcare together with abortions are able to come to Canada,” he stated.

“If some ladies 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” in the event Roe v. Wade is overturned and described the hope as being to “get rid of any ambiguity” that border officials may have as as to whether someone travelling to Canada for an abortion is eligible to enter the nation.

Story continues under advertisement

What's unclear at this time is whether or not any data on those individuals could be shared with American law enforcement or state officers looking to prosecute individuals for travelling for an abortion, as some experts have prompt might be next if Roe v. Wade falls.

Canada and the U.S. have intensive cross-border information sharing agreements designed to make it simpler to flag people who might pose a risk to nationwide safety, or who're violating immigration rules.

Alexander Cohen, director of communications for Mendicino’s workplace, mentioned the federal government does not share basic info regarding the aim of journey for Americans coming to Canada, “and that would come with those that come to Canada for reproductive health functions.”

Trending Stories

Canadian flight crew could be sent again to jail in Dominican Republic: airline

Did Trudeau drop an ‘F-bomb’ in Parliament? Conservatives say he did: ‘Not fuddle-duddle’

Could Canada develop into an abortion 'protected haven'?

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

Story continues beneath advertisement

States like California have vowed to enshrine abortion entry more strongly in their legal guidelines in the wake of the leaked U.S. Supreme Court draft ruling on Roe v. Wade, while experts are also raising the likelihood that for People near the Canadian border, this country could turn into their nearest protected haven.

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

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

Costescu said all the knowledge out there proper now suggests there'll remain abortion entry in a number of states alongside the Jap Seaboard if Roe v. Wade falls, including New York.

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

“Michigan, alternatively, becomes a little bit of a hot spot when it comes to whether abortion is accessible. As we move 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, this is considered ‘frontier country.’ These are large distances. But when folks have to choose to go hundreds of kilometers south or north [to access abortion], they could come up north.”

Story continues under commercial

Read extra: How abortion access differs throughout U.S. — and the way 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 generally known as an abortion doula. Meaning her job is helping individuals who need abortions access them.

The help she and other abortion doulas provide contains assist arranging travel, pickup and drop-off at sexual health clinics or abortion clinics, assist arranging accommodations if a person has to go away their dwelling group to get the abortion, assist accessing accurate data, as well as emotional support.

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

“Entry in Alberta is healthier than some locations, but nonetheless not nice,” she said. “We still have a hard time getting folks in rural areas into the cities for their appointments, particularly because there are so few docs which can be yet prescribing abortion remedy.”

Reinhardt-Simpson said an influx of individuals coming north might add to those challenges.

“We’re not likely equipped for coping with Albertans who want abortion care. We cannot even provide complete well being companies for girls or trans and non-binary folks in our own province,” she stated.

“So for sure, if folks did come up right here in massive numbers, there would be a really big downside.”

Story continues below advertisement

© 2022 International News, a division of Corus Leisure Inc.