Stepping-Stones to Security: An Analysis of the Safe Third Country Agreement

This major research paper examines the impacts of the Safe Third Country Agreement on North American cross border relations and on potential refugee claimants seeking to file status claims in Canada and the United States. The Safe Third Country Agreement between Canada and the United States was implemented on 29 December 2004 and will be examined in light of its relations to state security and human security. The paper will seek to address how the Safe Third Country Agreement has impacted bilateral communications between Canada and the United States, how the Agreement has woked in a post-9/11 era, and how Canada and the United States have maintained their international obligations. Similarly, this research paper will examine how the Agreement has impacted refugee claimants attempting to come to Canada, as well as the potential risks and challenges that the Agreement presents to refugees and those working with them.