Afghani Soldiers Trying to Defect into Canada?

For anyone who grew up during the Cold War, the notion of “defecting” brings up memories of movies where Russians being smuggled into the U.S.A. But, in a slight twist of the cinematic cliche, it appears that three soldiers from Afghanistan were trying to sneak into Canada.

USA Today’s article gives a lot more detail:
http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2014/09/22/3-afghan-officers-cape-cod-training-exercises-missing-hyannis/16039663/

The soldiers were not found to be a danger or a risk to others. But, their attempt to come into Canada, does raise a question or two: Is Canada still perceived as the “safe haven” for the persecuted? Or, have we reacted to the opposing end of the spectrum, post 9-1-1? If I recall, many Americans accused Canada as being the “port of entry for terrorists”, which resulted in many conservative Canadians crying out for tighter border policies.

The question remains: Is Canada still the “safe haven” or is it the “point of entry”? Or…is Canada acting as both?