Canada has made agreements on border management with the United States (see 8.3-External Borders). A safe third country agreement has also been signed between the two countries to allocate responsibility for asylum claims made at land border ports on the US/Canada border. The premise of the Agreement is that the country of the applicant’s last presence should assume responsibility for asylum claims.

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Canada has made agreements on border management with the United States (see 8.3-External Borders). A safe third country agreement has also been signed between the two countries to allocate responsibility for asylum claims made at land border ports on the US/Canada border. The premise of the Agreement is that the country of the applicant’s last presence should assume responsibility for asylum claims. Exceptions are made where the person arriving in the State has a family member there who has refugee status or other lawful status or has a family member over the age of 18 in the receiving state who is eligible to claim asylum. Such persons may remain in the receiving state. Canada has also worked with the US to return persons, without legal rights to remain, to their countries of origin which increased the numbers of returns to Guyana, joint charter flights were used to carry out returns to Somalia and Nigeria.

Canada has a number of international agreements with the European Community (EC) . A contractual link was established between the European Community and Canada in 1976 and since then numerous agreements have been made. The Framework Agreement made in that year has provided the foundation and structure for agreements in numerous fields between Canada and the EU since then. As well as the trade and investment relationship there are also agreements aimed at simplifying and harmonising customs procedures through organizations such as the World Trade Organisation and the World Customs Organization. A Transatlantic Declaration was made in 1990, which establishes principles of partnership, and common goals for Canada and the EC, it also establishes the political framework for agreements to be made in the future. The Declaration on EC-Canada relations emphasises values such as human dignity, intellectual freedom and civil liberties and in the democratic institutions.

Readmission agreements have been signed with a number of countries including Slovenia and the Czech republic.

Analysis provided by: Anisa Niaz LLM (Public Law), United Kingdom.

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