Today, the Honourable David McGuinty, Minister of Public Safety, highlighted measures to further strengthen security at the border, expanding on the $1.3 billion Border Plan the Government of Canada announced in December.
The new measures include:
These measures contribute to and expand on Canada’s Border Plan, which through its $1.3 billion investment, has and will continue to increased resources dedicated to border security – this includes procurement of Black Hawk helicopters, drones, mobile surveillance towers, as well as addition of personnel and new canine teams.
The Canada-U.S. border is the most secure in the world. The Government of Canada will continue to do whatever it takes to keep it that way.
“Canada and the United States share the most secure border in the world and we are committed to making it even stronger. The measures expand on Canada’s Border Plan and its unprecedented $1.3 billion dollar investment.”
- The Honourable David J. McGuinty, Minister of Public Safety
Budget 2024 provided $743.5 million over five years, including $159.5 million ongoing, to support the stability and integrity of Canada’s asylum system, increasing processing and decision-making capacity.
To reinforce the integrity of our immigration system and reduce fraud, we heightened scrutiny of visitor visa applications from countries with the highest rates of abuse. Our swift actions have led to an:
The Safe Third Country Agreement (STCA) has been in effect since 2004 and is an important tool for Canada and the U.S. to work together on the orderly management of asylum claims made in our countries. In March 2023, the STCA was expanded to apply across the entire Canada-U.S. land border, including internal waterways, such as the Great Lakes.
Health Canada’s new Canadian Drug Profiling Centre will allow for more laboratory capacity by allowing for more specialized forensic analysis of seized illegal synthetic drug samples. Analysis will go beyond identifying the components of a sample, and look at markers to help determine where substances were manufactured.
Health Canada’s new Precursor Risk Management Unit will increase oversight over precursor chemicals and distribution channels, and monitor emerging illegal drug trends.
The CBSA announced its intention to launch its first preclearance operation in 2025. Preclearance supports the national security and economic prosperity of both Canada and the U.S. by facilitating the secure and efficient movement of people and goods across the border.
