US President Joe Biden

and

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau agreed to an agreement to stop the irregular arrival of migrants from the United States.

Photo: EFE

US President Joe Biden concluded his first official visit to Canada on Friday night and in which he agreed with Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau on an agreement to stop the irregular arrival of migrants from the United States

.

Before leaving the Ottawa airport on Air Force One for Delaware, the US president and first lady, Jill Biden, attended an honorary dinner hosted by the Canadian prime minister and his wife, Sophie Grégoire.

Biden's two-day visit, the first to Canada by a US president since Barack Obama traveled to the Canadian capital in 2016 to also meet with Trudeau, has resulted in an agreement that will allow Canadian authorities to deport migrants who

enter irregularly from the United States.

Until now, the Safe Third Country Agreement signed by Canada and the United States in 2004 prevented action against migrants who cross the border between the two countries through unofficial entry points, which was causing internal policy problems for Trudeau.

Last year alone, 40,000 people arrived in Canada in this way to request refuge through Roxham Road, a point on the border between the state of New York and the province of Quebec.

Trudeau announced today during a joint press conference with Biden at the end of their bilateral meeting that Canadian authorities will deport "irregular crossers to the nearest US border point"

starting at midnight .

The two leaders also agreed that Canada will grant C$100 million (US$73 million) to the Haitian National Police.

Washington has pressured Ottawa for months to lead a stabilization force in Haiti in the face of the serious humanitarian and security crisis in the Caribbean country, but Canada has refused to send military personnel.

Also today, Biden delivered a speech before a joint session of the Canadian Lower House and Senate in which he reaffirmed the alliance and friendship of the two North American countries.

(With information from EFE)