Analyzing the Safe Third Country Agreement from a Health Justice Perspective

Abstract: The Safe Third Country Agreement (STCA) is an Agreement between Canada and the United States with reference to the management of refugee claimants between the shared land border of the two countries. The Agreement allows for either country to reject a claimant and deem them inadmissible if they are arriving at the border from a preceding “safe” country, according to the STCA. This restrictive migration policy allows the two countries to essentially reject refugee claimants using a procedural loophole in human rights. In this presentation, the STCA is analyzed through a bioethical framework, specifically the health justice framework, to highlight the ethical considerations associated with this Agreement and what impact such an agreement has on the health and well-being of immigrants into both Canada and the United States of America. This Agreement implemented by the state serves as a means to control immigration while simultaneously protecting the capitalist society and neoliberal agendas of the state, threatening the health and safety of migrants. Viewing immigration through this conceptual framework will serve as an opportunity to analyze the health equity implications associated with the Agreement and support advocating for equitable health outcomes for individuals as they enter either Canada or the United States of America.