U.S. treatment of domestic violence refugees should compel Canada to revisit asylum treaty, critics say

The case of a domestic violence survivor from Colombia who was denied entry to Canada and now fears deportation from the United States underscores the need for Ottawa to withdraw from a bilateral treaty limiting asylum claims at the border, critics say.

The Safe Third Country Agreement prohibits most asylum seekers who pass through the U.S. from claiming asylum in Canada, and vice versa. It is premised on both countries offering robust refugee protections.