Last week Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced that anyone crossing into the country at the Canada-U.S. border on foot to claim asylum will be turned away -- one measure included in the temporary border deal to combat the spread of COVID-19.

Announcing the joint move with the U.S., Prime Minister Trudeau said that would-be refugees will be turned back “anywhere at the Canada-U.S. border.”

Speaking at a press conference, Bill Blair told reporters that those found crossing the border would be immediately taken into custody, and undergo a 24-hour screening process. 

Experts are questioning whether Conservative Leader Andrew Scheer can successfully close the border loophole without full co-operation from the U.S.

Conservative Party Leader Andrew Scheer says asylum seekers who make claims at the border are "jumping the queue." This is false, and experts say there is no queue.

A new national policy on uniforms was adopted internally last year after the CBSA began moving what it deems "higher-risk immigration detainees'' from provincial jails, into one of the agency's three "immigration holding centres.''

The policy divided refugee claimants based on where they were from. Refugee rights would be limited if on a list of 42 countries deemed safe - such as the United States and most of Europe.

Trudeau and immigration officials continue to insist the system is just fine and that Conservatives are merely stoking fears for partisan gain.

The number of asylum-seekers crossing the border "irregularly" into Canada has slowed compared to early last year.

A backlog of "legacy" refugee claims filed by applicants who have been waiting over seven years to find out if they can remain in Canada will soon be cleared, as Ottawa now turns its attention to an even bigger backlog of fresh asylum claims.