OTHER VIEWS Fix the refugee process

Canada’s immigration system has been far from perfect for years, but the recent crisis of refugee claimants walking across the American border into our country highlights the shortcomings.

The federal government says more than 7,000 people have walked across the U.S.-Canada border into Quebec since July to claim refugee status. The fact the border is so porous means we don’t know the actual number of arrivals, or if some individuals present a security risk.

Our two countries share a pact called the Safe Third Country Agreement, negotiated after the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks. It recognizes that refugees who have found their way to the U.S. have no reason to be coming to Canada, or vice versa.

But such provisions apply only at official land-border entry points, so if people find their way into the country on foot, little can be done.

Government documents indicate an 11-year backlog of 45,000 to 60,000 people in the refugee program. There’s a financial price to be paid for such lengthy delays, given that refugee claimants are eligible for social assistance and medicare. That’s an unacceptably long time — for legitimate and spurious refugee seekers.

Canadian officials need to establish the validity of refugee claimants’ applications in a timely manner, especially those of people walking across the border in an attempt to jump ahead of folks who are going through the proper channels.