Canada Border Services Agency's 2023 to 2024 Departmental results report: At a glance

Actual spending: $1,739,904,759

Actual human resources: 11,075 full-time equivalents

Departmental results achieved:

The CBSA's Departmental Results Framework sets out the following results to be achieved for its core responsibility of border management. A summary of key achievements in 2023 to 2024 is provided for each.

• The CBSA's intelligence, threat and risk assessment activities contribute to the identification, mitigation and neutralization of risks and threats to the safety, security and prosperity of Canadians and Canada
  • Interdicted the cross-border movement of illicit drugs and precursor chemicals, including synthetic opioids such as fentanyl, with over 35,000 seizures in 2023 to 2024
  • Interdicted the illegal importation of firearms and prohibited weapons through enhanced detection capabilities, with over 28,000 seizures in 2023 to 2024
  • Combatted money laundering and other illicit financial activities, with seizures of more than $30 million in currency and monetary instruments in 2023 to 2024, including suspected proceeds of crime
  • Supported the National Summit on Combatting Auto Theft held in February 2024 and participated in Joint Intelligence Groups with law enforcement partners, leading to increased intelligence capacity and the development of new tools to combat auto theft. These efforts resulted in the recovery of more than 1,800 stolen vehicles in the 2023 calendar year and more than 1,500 stolen vehicles in the 2024 calendar year to date
  • Implemented processing efficiencies in the Immigration National Security Screening Program to identify inadmissible persons seeking entry into Canada, contributing to an 84.3% increase in the number of cases processed in 2023 to 2024 relative to the previous fiscal year
  • Combatted human trafficking and fraudulent immigration consultants using intelligence and enforcement capabilities to identify vulnerable persons and leads for criminal investigations. These efforts supported the prosecution of multiple criminal cases in 2023 to 2024, with convictions secured in eight cases involving human smuggling and 11 cases involving fraudulent immigration consultants
• Admissible travellers are processed in an efficient manner
  • Maintained effective border operations in the traveller stream, with over 89 million travellers processed in 2023 to 2024
  • Advanced the Traveller Modernization initiative through the completion of legislative amendments and the planning of regulatory amendments that will establish the policy foundation for new border processing technologies
• Travellers and their goods are compliant with applicable legislation
  • Advanced the development of a proof-of-concept pilot for Canadian land preclearance operations in a co-located facility in the United States
• Admissible commercial goods and conveyances are processed in an efficient manner
  • Maintained effective border operations in the commercial stream, with over 25 million commercial releases and 156 million courier shipments processed in 2023 to 2024, and approximately $40 billion in duties and taxes assessed in 2023 to 2024
  • Advanced the CBSA's E-Commerce Customs Strategy to keep pace with the continual rise in e-commerce importation volumes, including efforts to transition to a larger-scale pilot of the E-Commerce Low Value Inspection System
• Traders are compliant with applicable legislation and requirements
  • Worked with Employment and Social Development Canada to identify and interdict goods that may have been produced by forced labour. Since the import ban on such goods has been in place, the CBSA has gained experience in applying this measure. Approximately 50 shipments have been intercepted and assessed by the CBSA up to September 2024, of which six shipments were monitored for export out of the Canadian marketplace; one shipment was abandoned at the Canadian border by the importer; and the remaining shipments were permitted entry after an extensive review of detailed supply chain information provided by importers
  • Continued to develop a cargo preclearance proof-of-concept in the air mode to inform the potential expansion of commercial preclearance operations in the United States
• Importers comply with revenue requirements
  • Advanced the CBSA Assessment and Revenue Management (CARM) project through substantial work in 2023 to 2024 to ensure readiness for the internal launch of CARM Release 2 that was delivered in the first quarter of 2024 to 2025
• Canadian producers are protected from unfairly dumped and subsidized imports
  • Conducted anti-dumping and countervailing investigations pursuant to the Special Import Measures Act to guard against unfair trade practices, defend domestic producers, and protect Canadian jobs
• Trusted Traveller and Trader programs increase processing efficiency of low-risk, pre-approved travellers and traders
  • Expanded hours of service and interview options at NEXUS enrollment centres to improve processing for current and prospective NEXUS members. The CBSA's service standard for NEXUS highway border wait times was met 99% of the time in 2023 to 2024, exceeding the Agency's target of 95%
• Travellers and the business community have access to timely redress mechanisms
  • Enhanced the Recourse Program through ongoing efforts to develop a secure e-portal for electronic communications with external clients
• Other key achievements
  • Advanced the Gordie Howe International Bridge Project and the Land Border Crossing Project as part of ongoing efforts to strengthen border infrastructure
  • Continued to implement the Agency's Indigenous Framework and Strategy to guide reconciliation efforts with Indigenous Peoples

More information about border management can be found in the "Results - what we achieved" section of the full departmental results report.

Actual spending: $381,536,390

Actual human resources: 2,150 full-time equivalents

Departmental results achieved:

The CBSA's Departmental Results Framework sets out the following results to be achieved for its core responsibility of border enforcement. A summary of key achievements in 2023 to 2024 is provided for each.

• Immigration investigations identify persons inadmissible to Canada
  • Focused inland investigative resources on high-risk immigration cases, while working with federal partners to improve operational coordination on irregular migration and the in-Canada refugee determination system. In 2023 to 2024, the CBSA concluded 34,904 immigration investigations, with 78% of persons identified as inadmissible to Canada
• Persons are placed on alternatives to detention whenever possible, or placed in the most appropriate detention facility according to their risk profile
  • Ensured that detention is used as a measure of last resort and that alternatives to detention are always considered, with 37% of detained persons released on alternatives to detention in 2023 to 2024, exceeding the CBSA's target of 25%
• The Minister's positions are appropriately represented in immigration and refugee decision-making processes
  • Triaged over 50,000 refugee claims in 2023 to 2024 and initiated a pilot to support faster triage of refugee claims in collaboration with Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada
• Inadmissible foreign nationals are prioritized and removed expeditiously from Canada
  • Enforced the removal of 16,218 inadmissible persons from Canada in 2023 to 2024, representing an increase of approximately 59% over the previous fiscal year, and continued to prioritize removals with serious inadmissibility grounds
• People and businesses that are referred to Crown counsel for prosecution are convicted
  • Continued to build capacity to investigate and prosecute people and businesses that violate Canada's border-related legislation, with a focus on complex cases of fraud involving individuals and organizations posing a threat to Canada's immigration system, economy and communities
  • Supported the prosecution of multiple cases involving violations of border legislation in 2023 to 2024, with convictions secured in 47 cases involving firearms and weapons smuggling; eight cases involving human smuggling; 11 cases involving fraudulent immigration consultants; and eight cases involving trade fraud
• Other key achievements
  • Advanced key aspects of the Agency's policy agenda geared toward immigration facilitation and balanced enforcement through legislative and regulatory work to support public safety, immigration facilitation, and program integrity objectives
  • Continued to support immigration measures for those affected by the Russian invasion of Ukraine, while working with federal partners to enforce sanctions in response to the Russian invasion and commission of human rights violations
  • Supported the designation of the Iranian regime pursuant to subparagraph 35(1)(b) of the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act through enforcement measures to identify and interdict senior officials who are inadmissible to Canada. Under this designation, 14 immigration enforcement investigations have concluded with a decision to refer the case to an admissibility hearing, for which the CBSA has already asked the Immigration and Refugee Board to schedule an admissibility hearing in seven cases. While five of those cases are ongoing, a removal order has been issued against two individuals, with one removal already enforced

More information about border enforcement can be found in the "Results - what we achieved" section of the full departmental results report.

In addition to the results achieved for its core responsibilities as outlined above, the CBSA took further steps to improve its internal services in 2023 to 2024, with a particular focus on its procurement practices. The Agency conducted internal audits to identify and address oversight and monitoring gaps, resulting in the development of increased oversight mechanisms when selecting procurement methods, as well as ongoing efforts to reduce its reliance on external consultants. The Agency also created an Executive Procurement Review Committee to provide oversight of all contracting activities in order to ensure value for money and sound stewardship of public resources.

More information about Internal services can be found in the "Results - what we achieved" section of the full departmental results report.