Urgent: On March 07, federal cabinet ministers are meeting to discuss asylum seekers from the US and whether or not Canada should scrap the Safe Third Country Agreement (STCA) -- an unjust law that turns many asylum seekers away at the Canadian land border if they entered via the US, because it assumes the US is a safe country.

But Trump’s America is anything but safe. Canada must #LetThemIn and #LetThemStay.

Over 40,000 of you signed the petition calling on Trudeau to scrap the STCA. Your pressure helped force this issue onto the government’s agenda. Now we need to turn up the heat before tomorrow’s cabinet meeting.
 

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The most important thing you can do right now is take 5 minutes to call one of the ministers who will be attending tomorrow’s meeting, calling on them to #LetThemIn and #LetThemStay

They’re already under massive pressure, and if we flood them with calls, we could be the tipping point needed.

Use the box to the right to make the call - we’ll automatically connect you to one of the federal cabinet ministers who will be at the meeting. If no one answers you can leave a voicemail.
 

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Here are some talking points you could include in your message:

• I’m calling because I heard cabinet is meeting on March 7th to discuss the Safe Third Country Agreement in the lead up to meeting Trump’s Homeland Security czar John Kelly on March 10th.
   
• Trump’s America is not safe. Thousands of asylum seekers are facing deportation from Trump’s America, separated from their families and being forced back to countries where they could be persecuted or even killed -- these people deserve to live with dignity in Canada.
   
• The Safe Third Country agreement is forcing asylum seekers to avoid regular official immigration channels and risk their lives in crossing the border on foot.
   
• People have lost fingers and toes making this trek, and it’s unacceptable.
   
• I’m calling on the government to:
  • #LetThemIn: End the Safe Third Country Agreement, welcome asylum seekers fleeing Trump’s America into Canada and stop jailing them;
  • #LetThemStay: Ensure all asylum seekers get proper legal, healthcare and social services. Let them stay permanently.
     
• Can I count on you to bring this message forward at the Cabinet ministers’ meeting on March 7th and to John Kelly on March 10th?

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Canadian immigration laws are in need of an overhaul. If you want to say more, here’s a more substantive list of other things Canada could do to open its borders to refugees and asylum seekers:

• Many asylum seekers are turned away from Canada because they are from a so-called “Safe Country”. Under the Designated Country of Origin (DCO) system, individuals are assessed not on the basis of their claims but on the country of origin. The DCO system must end.
• Lift all limitations and caps on refugee applications and sponsorships.
• Many asylum seekers and migrants are jailed indefinitely in Canada including children. We need to end immigration detention.
• Migrant workers are tied to their employers, and cannot leave jobs that make them sick. Migrant workers deserve open permits and status on landing.
• Over half a million undocumented residents also fear detentions and deportations. We need status for all undocumented residents, an end to deportations and for provinces to give them basic services (Sanctuary Provinces).
• Canada must rescind all federal legislation that attacks racialized Black and Brown Muslims and refugees, including the Zero Tolerance for Barbaric Cultural Practices Act as well as anti-terror legislation such as Security Certificates and Bill C-51.