The Canadian government is making significant strides to fortify its borders and streamline its immigration system with a substantial investment of $1.3 billion. This comprehensive plan aims to enhance security, combat illegal activities, and ensure the integrity of Canada’s immigration processes
. This blog post delves into the key components of this plan, outlining the investments, new measures, and legislative changes designed to keep Canadians safe and maintain a fair and efficient system.
Major Financial Investments:
The $1.3 billion investment is strategically allocated across various agencies to maximize its impact:
$667.5 million is designated for the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) to bolster their efforts in border security
.$355.4 million is allocated to the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) to enhance its operational capabilities
$180 million is earmarked for the Communications Security Establishment (CSE) over six years, focusing on intelligence and surveillance
$77.7 million is directed to Health Canada to address health-related concerns at the border
$20 million is allocated to Public Safety Canada over five years to support overall security initiatives
These investments are intended to not only improve detection and enforcement capabilities but also streamline processing times at border entry points
.
Combating the Illegal Drug Trade
A significant focus of the border plan is to disrupt the flow of illegal drugs, particularly fentanyl
. Key measures include:
Enhanced detection capacity: Implementing new technologies and expanding existing infrastructure to detect illegal drugs, guns, and other threats
This also includes reducing cargo container processing times to keep trade moving
Canadian Drug Profiling Centre: Creating a new center to support 2,000 investigations annually and boost capacity at regional labs, enhancing Canada's ability to analyze and understand the patterns of illegal drug trafficking
Chemical detection tools: Deploying new tools at high-risk ports of entry
Canine teams: Increasing the deployment of canine teams to intercept illegal drugs
Accelerated regulatory process: Speeding up the process for banning precursor chemicals to enable quicker law enforcement action
Chemical Precursor Risk Management Unit: Launching a new unit to monitor precursor chemicals and emerging drug trends, allowing for better oversight and timely law enforcement intervention
Expanded Law Enforcement Powers: Strengthening the authority of law enforcement under the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act to combat illegal drugs and precursors
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New Tools for Law Enforcement
To improve surveillance and response capabilities, the plan includes the following measures:
Air-based surveillance: Investing in crewed and non-crewed (drones) air-based platforms for live operational response and monitoring of border activities
Mobile surveillance towers: Deploying mobile surveillance towers complemented by AI tools and counter-drone technology to provide more comprehensive surveillance between ports of entry
Expanded intelligence collection: Increasing the capacity for intelligence collection by the RCMP and CSE to better target transnational organized crime and fentanyl trafficking
Mandatory facilities for CBSA: Enacting legislation to require port owners and operators to provide CBSA with necessary space and facilities for export inspections, similar to import inspections
Stricter Penalties: Implementing harsher penalties for non-compliance with the Proceeds of Crime (Money Laundering) and Terrorist Financing Act, including increasing criminal fines and extending prison terms
Anti-money laundering: Strengthening the anti-money laundering/anti-terrorist financing framework, requiring reporting entities to enroll with FINTRAC, and enabling FINTRAC disclosures to the Office of the Commissioner of Canada Elections
.
Improving Operational Coordination
To streamline law enforcement efforts, the government is taking the following steps
:
Regional hubs: Establishing regional hubs to coordinate national, regional, and local law enforcement activities against organized crime and illegal drugs
North American Joint Strike Force: Proposing a new joint task force with the United States to target transnational organized crime, including specialized units for synthetic drugs, and enhanced border enforcement teams
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Enhanced Information Sharing
To better manage the border, the plan also focuses on enhancing information sharing and vetting
:
Inter-agency information sharing: Improving information and intelligence sharing between federal, provincial, territorial, and Indigenous authorities
Enhanced eTA vetting: Improving the vetting of Electronic Travel Authorization (eTA) applicants with the United States to identify high-risk individuals
Disclosure of sex offender information: Enhancing information sharing through the Sex Offender Information Registration Act and the High-Risk Child Sex Offender Database Act with the United States, so border officials have access to information on high-risk individuals
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Minimizing Unnecessary Border Volumes
To reduce irregular migration and streamline border operations, several measures have been introduced
:
Safe Third Country Agreement (STCA) Protocol: Extending the application of the STCA to the entire Canada-U.S. land border, including internal waterways, which has dramatically reduced asylum claims from illegal border crossings
Cancellation of visitor-to-worker policy: Removing the visitor-to-worker public policy, which was being misused
Partial visa requirement for Mexican nationals: Implementing a partial visa requirement for Mexican nationals to decrease the high volume of asylum claims
Reforms to the International Student Program: Ending the practice of post-graduation work permit ‘flagpoling’
Addressing fraud in the Temporary Foreign Worker Program: Introducing new measures to reduce fraud in the Temporary Foreign Worker Program and tightening eligibility for temporary foreign workers
Tighter eligibility requirements: Tightening eligibility requirements for temporary foreign workers, post-graduation work permits, and spouses of international students work permits
Enhanced screening: Heightening screening and detection tools to reduce the number of non-genuine visitors to Canada, and re-examining visas when fraud is suspected
Increased removals: Improving the rate of removals of inadmissible people from Canada and reducing existing immigration enforcement inventories
New legislation: Introducing new legislation to strengthen the authorities to cancel, change, or suspend immigration documents, applications, or to pause the acceptance of new applications
End of "flagpoling": Ceasing the practice of "flagpoling" at ports of entry, requiring temporary residents to apply online for immigration services
Imposing costs: Imposing new costs and restrictions on countries that do not facilitate the return of their citizens in the event of fraudulent entry or removal orders
Legislative Amendments
Several legislative amendments are proposed to further strengthen border security and immigration processes
:
Immigration and Refugee Protection Act: Amending the Act to extend legislative authorities to cancel, suspend, or vary immigration documents for reasons deemed in the public interest, and to streamline the intake, processing, and adjudication of asylum claims
Sex Offender Information Registration Act: Amending the Act to enhance the ability of the RCMP to share information with domestic and international partners
Proceeds of Crime (Money Laundering) and Terrorist Financing Act (PCMLTFA): Amending the PCMLTFA to strengthen Canada’s anti-money laundering and anti-terrorist financing framework by introducing universal enrollment for reporting entities, permitting disclosures to the Office of the Commissioner of Canada Elections, and implementing technical amendments. The PCMLTFA will also be amended to strengthen penalties and support compliance
Customs Act: Amending the Act to require carriers and sufferance warehouse operators to grant CBSA officers access to examine goods destined for export, and obligate owners to provide adequate facilities
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Conclusion
The Government of Canada's Border Plan represents a significant investment and a multifaceted approach to securing the border and maintaining the integrity of the immigration system. By combining technological advancements, enhanced law enforcement tools, improved coordination, and strategic legislative changes, Canada aims to create a safer and more efficient environment for all. These measures not only aim to reduce illegal activities but also streamline legitimate travel and immigration processes. As these changes are implemented, they are expected to have a substantial impact on the safety and security of Canada.
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