Hon. Marc Gold (Government Representative in the Senate): Thank you for the question. It’s important to note the significant challenges and the issues involved in the decisions to renew the agreement with the U.S. We need to ensure that this can be applied to the entire border, and not just official border crossings.

Canada has definitely done its part, as it always has, by welcoming those seeking asylum through official channels. As you know, Quebec alone has accepted more than 40,000 migrants who tried their luck and managed to get to Canada by irregular means.

We have a 9,000-kilometre border, more or less, and we have to admit that it would be impossible for officers to monitor it. We do not have the resources and neither does the United States. The government is aware of the existing issues and knows that would be even more difficult come winter. The government is working with the provinces and our American counterparts to ensure that we can manage the situation in a compassionate and responsible manner.

What the government wants from this agreement is to enable those wishing to come to Canada to do so through recognized and official channels, because that is how they can access services we can manage and monitor. They have the right to remain in Canada by making an application. Otherwise, they must return to the United States, as required by the rules.