Americans can get abortions in Canada after Roe v Wade overturned: feds

Canada is leaving its doors open for Americans who want to get abortions amid the US Supreme Court’s decision to overturn Roe v. Wade, according to federal ministers.

States can now individually decide if they want to ban abortions. Many are speculating that abortion bans will rampantly be imposed in several American states very quickly. “Friday’s outcome is expected to lead to abortion bans in roughly half the states,” reported the Associated Press.

This news comes after a bombshell draft leak in May revealed that America’s highest court voted to reverse Roe v. Wade, a landmark decision that guaranteed federal constitutional protections for women who choose to have an abortion.

“Americans who come to Canada are able to access medical services here today if they need it,” a spokesperson for Karina Gould, minister of families, children and social development, told Daily Hive in an email last month.

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The spokesperson added that Americans accessing health care services in the country who are not covered by Canadian healthcare plans would have to pay for the service out-of-pocket or use their own private insurance.

The families, children and social development minister isn’t the only Canadian official that has promised safe access to abortion services for Americans.

This week we have heard some concerning news about access to reproductive health services in the United States.

I am proud to be part of a Government that is unequivocal about protecting a woman’s right to choose and ensuring access to safe and legal abortions. 1/

— Karina Gould (@karinagould) May 4, 2022

In May, Public Safety Minister Marco Mendicino told reporters that he will be speaking with the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) to ensure Americans seeking abortions have safe passage into Canada.

“I’ve engaged CBSA, my office is currently working with them to make sure there are clear guidelines so that women who may not be able to access healthcare including abortions are able to come to Canada,” he said.

While there are no laws preventing Canadians from having an abortion, it is important to note that a woman’s choice to get one is not a protected right under the Charter of Rights and Freedoms, as it was in the US since 1973.

One of the many cases that used Roe v. Wade as a stepping stone for its argument was Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization. It was filed against the Gestational Age Act of Mississippi.

A decision was reached for Dobbs today, which prompted the overturning of Roe v. Wade.

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau took to Twitter on Friday to condemn the ruling.

The news coming out of the United States is horrific. My heart goes out to the millions of American women who are now set to lose their legal right to an abortion. I can’t imagine the fear and anger you are feeling right now.

— Justin Trudeau (@JustinTrudeau) June 24, 2022

“No government, politician, or man should tell a woman what she can and cannot do with her body,” tweeted Trudeau. “I want women in Canada to know that we will always stand up for your right to choose.”

If you want to learn more about Roe v. Wade and the implications of this ruling, click here.

With files from Daily Hive’s Imaan Sheikh.