Bidens arrive in Canada as Joe prepares to strike migration deal

Joe and Jill Biden kickstarted their Canada trip with a round of hugs and a few kisses as they joined Justin Trudeau and his wife Sophie Gregoire Trudeau for dessert and private time at the prime minister’s residence on Thursday evening.

The president kissed Gregoire Trudeau on the cheek while the prime minister did the same for the first lady – a public display of warmth and affection ahead of the two leaders’ bilateral meeting on Friday, where they will deal with a few thorny issues, such as defense spending and migration at the northern border.

Instead he joined his wife and the Trudeaus in a group photo on the front porch of Rideau Cottage before waving goodbye as the foursome went inside.

The Bidens and Trudeaus have a warm, friendly relationship. The two leaders speak often even as their in-person visits have been limited due to the COVID pandemic. 

The new pact on the northern border, which is expected to be announced on Friday, will ‘reduce incentives’ to cross the border irregularly, the Los Angeles Times reported.  As part of the deal, Ottawa will announce 15,000 slots for migrants from the Western Hemisphere to apply to enter Canada legally.

It’s just part of Biden’s packed schedule for Friday as he completes a whirl-wind trip to America’s neighbor to the north. He’ll hold a bilateral meeting with the prime minister, address Canada’s Parliament and hold a press conference with Trudeau.

The Bidens will cap their visit with a Gala dinner on Friday night and then head to Wilmington, Delaware, for the weekend.

The trip is about reassuring America’s close ally of their importance and stressing unity on Ukraine but there are underlying issues causing tenions, including migration on the northern border, Canada’s reduced defense spending, and how to help Haiti.

Source of data and images: dailymail