Canada-US Safe Third Country Agreement: Borders, identity, and gender

Canada's identity as a liberal state with a reputation for their protection of human rights and refugees stands in contrast with the Canada-US Safe Third Country Agreement and its recent amendment in March 2023. This agreement requires asylum seekers who have entered the United States to seek asylum

there and not journey to Canada to do so there (or vice versa). Under the amendment this applies to asylum seekers anywhere along Canada's border, even irregular points of entry, initially the agreement only applied to official points of entry. To untangle the contradiction of Canada's liberal identity with

a government rhetoric of welcoming borders, and an agreement contested on human rights grounds, I will examine how the Canadian government has described and justified the agreement, as well as how asylum seekers are constructed by the agreement and the discourse around it. This research is also interested in how the agreement affects asylum seekers, their decision

making, and journeys, particularly along gendered lines. A feminist approach is important given the lack of literature taking an intersectional approach to understand how the agreement affects asylum seekers in unique ways. Gender is relevant given Canada's recognition of gendered persecution, unlike

the United States where asylum seekers crossing the Canada-US border may be returned to under this agreement. This research will adopt a qualitative approach using both discourse analysis and interviews.