Canadians Without A Negative COVID-19 Test Can't Legally Be Stopped At The Land Border

After announcing the new land border restrictions in Canada, Justin Trudeau admitted that things are a little complicated in terms of legalities.

In a press conference on February 9, the prime minister confirmed that anybody crossing Canada’s borders from February 15 on will be required to show a negative COVID-19 test.

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It’s not legal to refuse entry to a Canadian who wants to come home. Justin Trudeau

However, he acknowledged that this isn’t necessarily enforceable in some cases, as all Canadians have a legal right to enter the country via land.

He explained that this was the “major difference” between land borders and air borders, which makes it harder for the government to implement strict rules there.

“You can prevent someone from boarding a flight in Miami or elsewhere, you can’t prevent someone standing at a land border crossing from coming into Canada, because technically they’re already on Canadian soil,” the PM added.

However, he did note that while Canadians without the appropriate COVID-19 test couldn’t be stopped at the border, they could face “severe penalties” for failing to comply.

This includes fines of up to $3,000 per person.

In addition, Trudeau said that government officials would be completing “extensive follow-ups” to ensure that those entering without a test would later get one and quarantine as required.