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.