Transcript for Biden seals new deal to divert asylum seekers crossing into Canada
- A deal to reduce the surge of migrants at our northern border. The agreement between the US and Canada is expected to be announced later today with President Biden meeting with Prime Minister Justin Trudeau in Ottawa. Senior National Correspondent Terry Moran is traveling with the president. Good morning, Terry.
- Good morning, Michael. This morning, President Biden and Prime Minister Trudeau, as you say, are expected to announce this deal. It's a big step for both of these leaders who face mounting political pressures, each of them, to address a migration crisis that stretches up and down the Western hemisphere. In recent years, Canada, like the US, has seen unprecedented numbers of people entering their country without authorization of law-- 40,000 last year-- overwhelming some Canadian border communities. So under this deal, Canada will now be allowed to turn back migrants who are seeking asylum and who enter Canada from the US at unofficial crossing points. Previously, only those who entered at formal border crossings were turned back.
And in exchange, Canada will now launch-- has agreed to launch-- a new legal refugee program for 15,000 migrants from Central and South America. That's expected. It's hoped, it will take some of the pressure off the overwhelmed Southern US border.
Now, migrant advocates on both sides of the border, they are criticizing this deal. That say that detention in the US is unfair and dangerous for people who are fleeing persecution and violence. But as I say, each of these leaders are just facing so much pressure to bring some kind of order and security to their borders. This might help, but there's no question, it's not a solution to the much bigger problem that, as they say, stretches right up and down the Western hemisphere. Whit.
WHIT JOHNSON: Yeah, so much at stake for both sides. Terry, thank you.
This transcript has been automatically generated and may not be 100% accurate.