The US and Canada agree to close unofficial border crossing

The US and Canada have reached an agreement that will allow the countries to deny more migrants from crossing the border illegally in both directions, Reuters reports.

The White House announced that the two sides had agreed to change the terms of the Third Safe Country agreement to prohibit asylum seekers from entering the common land border through unofficial crossings.

The US and Canada share North America’s longest land border, and the revised agreement will cover its entire length. In addition, asylum seekers who cross the border without permission will be sent back.

Previously, if a person crossed the border from the US into Canada without going through a checkpoint, they were granted asylum. Now there will be no such possibility.