Overview: Standing Committee on Public Safety and National Security: Foreign Nationals (April 30, 2026)

Opening remarks - PS Minister

Good morning Mr. Chair and committee members.

Thank you for the opportunity to join you today. The work you are doing on this issue is important. I eagerly await your report and recommendations.

Today, I am pleased to appear alongside Erin O'Gorman, President of the CBSA, and Aaron Mccrorie, the Agency's Vice-President of Intelligence and Enforcement.

Protecting Canadians' safety and maintaining the integrity of our immigration system are priorities for the Government of Canada. Border security is explicit in the Prime Minister's seven missions. Central to this is ensuring our borders remain secure, and that immigration and border policies are applied fairly, transparently, and in compliance with Canadian laws and international obligations.

Canada is proud to welcome immigrants, refugees, and visitors from around the world. At the same time, the government is committed to ensuring that people who no longer meet the requirements to remain here, including those posing threats to public safety or national security, are removed in accordance with the law and supporting processes.

This is hard, but important work. We have had a lot of success and we also face challenges, like many of our likeminded countries.

The CBSA prioritizes the removal of individuals who pose a risk to public safety. In 2025, the Agency achieved a significant milestone removing over 22,500 inadmissible persons — a record for a single year. Nearly 1,200 of these were removed due to serious concerns related to criminality, national security, human rights abuses, and organized crime.

Over the past five years, removals on serious grounds have nearly doubled, reflecting the CBSA's commitment to mitigating public safety threats.

The Agency is actively combatting criminal activities, such as extortion, by collaborating with law enforcement to remove individuals who are involved in these activities that terrorizing our communities. These efforts have had an impact in areas such as the B.C. Lower Mainland, Edmonton, Winnipeg, and the GTA, where communities have welcomed the disruption of such networks.

Cases involving individuals who pose a risk public safety are referred to the Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada, which decides whether to issue removal orders.

Despite our successes, there can be challenges in carrying out removals. A removal order does not automatically result in immediate action.

One significant barrier is the lack of cooperation from certain foreign governments, which delay issuing necessary travel documents. This impacts the efficiency of removals, especially for those cases subject to enforceable orders. We are working with those countries and some of these efforts are bearing fruit.

Public understanding is also key. While not every removal is tied to an immediate threat, those that pose a danger to Canadians can be arrested and detained under immigration legislation.

The Agency relies on close collaboration both domestically and internationally to achieve its goals. Public tips submitted through the CBSA's Border Watch Line remain a vital tool for identifying threats, reinforcing community engagement, and improving case outcomes.

Investments under the Border Plan have also allowed the CBSA to expand its resources. The Agency has hired additional Enforcement Case Officers to support removals and reduce backlogs. The CBSA is also hiring 1,000 new officers, to strengthen front-line operations, including inland investigations and removals.

All players in the public safety portfolio – and in fact, across government – take their mandate to protect Canadians extremely seriously. The Agency's successes reflect the power of collaboration.

In closing, I want to acknowledge the dedication of CBSA staff and their federal partners. The Agency's work, supported by law enforcement and international collaboration, is vital to protecting Canadians and maintaining a fair, transparent immigration system.

Again, thank you for this opportunity to appear before you today. I welcome your questions.

Scenario note

Topic: Foreign Nationals
Date and time: Thursday, April 30, 2026  (3:30 to 4:30)
Location: TBD

Overview

The Minister of Public Safety (PS) and the Minister of Immigration Refugee and Citizenship (IRC) are appearing for one hour. You are appearing with Vice-President Aaron McCrorie in support of the PS Minister during the same hour. The Deputy Minister of Immigration Refugee and Citizenship Canada (IRCC), Ted Gallivan, is appearing in support of the IRC Minister

Removals and deportations, particularly of foreign nationals with criminal records, have dominated the discussion across the Standing Committee on Public Safety and National Security (SECU) and the Standing Committee on Citizenship and Immigration (CIMM) across multiple studies since the beginning of the 45th Parliament.

SECU launched a study on removals following widely reported figures indicating 1,635 foreign nationals with criminal records are facing deportation, 600 of whom failed to appear and are currently of unknown whereabouts. The study aims to assess Canada's ability to deport criminally inadmissible foreign nationals, propose measures to prevent such individuals from entering Canada, and identify more effective enforcement approaches.

You have appeared previously for this study on December 2, 2025, where committee members asked questions on the 1000 Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) officers, the deployment of armed and unarmed officers, the accommodation of personnel unable to carry firearms, the whereabouts of individuals in the removals inventory, the proportion of wanted individuals with criminality, sufficiency of current staffing levels and tools to execute removals, challenges to execute removals such as recalcitrant countries and appeals, and CBSA's risk based approach to removals. Members also raised concerns about the use of students at ports of entry and detainee release practices (unconditional release pursuant to Bill C-75).

Since then, the committee heard testimony from multiple stakeholders, including the National Police Federation President, representatives from the International Centre for Criminal Law Reform and Criminal Justice Policy and General Manager of Immigration Compliance and Investigations at New Zealand's Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment. Witnesses indicated that the CBSA removal system is functional but constrained by limited enforcement capacity, resulting in delays and a backlog of cases, including foreign nationals with criminality who are not removed in a timely manner. They identified gaps in information sharing and coordination between CBSA and partner agencies, including inconsistent access to real-time data and limited integration with policing systems. Testimony also highlighted risks associated with the release of individuals prior to removal, including failures to appear and challenges in locating persons subject to removal orders. Witnesses recommended increased dedicated resources for enforcement, enhanced real-time information sharing, and expanded integrated enforcement models (e.g., joint task forces) to strengthen CBSA's operational effectiveness.

Motion

The motion for this study was adopted on September 18, 2025 at an in-camera meeting of the committee.
The text of the motion is below:

It was agreed, — That, given reports that 1,635 foreign nationals with criminal records are facing deportation, of which 600 have failed to attend their deportation proceedings and their whereabouts are unknown, 431 have been found guilty of serious crimes, and 361 have been avoiding deportation for more than two years, the committee undertake a study, pursuant to Standing Order 108(2), into Canada's ability to deport foreign nationals with criminal records with a view of recommending measures to prevent these criminals from entering Canada in the first place, and to identify more effective ways of ensuring such criminals are deported;
that the committee dedicate no fewer than six meetings for this study and that the committee invite the following witnesses to appear: The Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship, the Minister of Public Safety, the President of the Canada Border Service Agency;
that the committee receive evidence from victims' groups, law enforcement agencies, departmental officials and experts submitted to the clerk by members of the committee; and that at the conclusion of the hearings, the committee report its findings and recommendations to the House, and, pursuant to Standing Order 109, request a government response.

Appearing

• Hon. Gary Anandasangaree, P.C., M.P., Minister of Public Safety
• Hon. Lena Metlege Diab, P.C., M.P., Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship

Witnesses

• Erin O'Gorman, President, Canada Border Services Agency
• Aaron McCrorie, Vice-President, Intelligence and Enforcement, Canada Border Services Agency
• Ted Gallivan, Deputy Minister, Immigration Refugee and Citizenship Canada

Rounds of questions

• Five minutes are allotted for the opening statement
• Questioning of witnesses:
  • First round: six minutes for the first questioner of each party as follows: Conservative Party, Liberal Party, Bloc Québécois
  • For the second, and subsequent rounds, the order and time for questioning is as follows:
    • Conservative Party, five minutes
    • Liberal Party, five minutes
    • Bloc Québécois, two and a half minutes
    • Conservative Party, five minutes
    • Liberal Party, five minutes

The total time allocated per round of questioning includes the member's questions and the witness' responses. There is no time limit on responses from witnesses; however, succinct answers are preferred.

Questions to expect

On performance and accountability:

• How many foreign nationals with criminal records are currently awaiting removal, broken down by status (detained, released, missing, appeals pending, etc.)
• Why 600 individuals' whereabouts are unknown and how the CBSA is attempting to locate them
• The criteria used to prioritize removals, particularly those involving violent or repeat offenders
• Average timelines for removals, and what factors cause long delays (e.g., appeals, lack of travel documents, foreign cooperation)
• Accountability measures when removal orders are not enforced or are delayed for years
• Officials should be ready to describe inland enforcement operations, risk assessments, and coordination with RCMP and IRCC on files involving serious inadmissibility

On prevention and security screening:

• Details on One-Touch process for asylum claims (efficiency vs security)
• Details on pre-arrival screening and information-sharing with foreign partners such as Five Eyes and Interpol
• How visa screening and watchlist systems flag criminal records before entry
• Whether IRCC and CBSA share data effectively to stop inadmissible individuals before they obtain visas, student permits, work permits, or permanent residence

On capacity and resources:

• The number of inland enforcement officers currently assigned to removals, including armed and unarmed officers
• Training capacity at Rigaud, plans to develop other training facilities, status of hiring the 1,000 new CBSA officers and how many will be assigned to executing removals
• Use of technology for tracking absconders or monitoring compliance
• Whether CBSA has adequate funding, staff, and investigative authority to execute removal orders effectively

On legal barriers/impediments:

• Legal and procedural barriers such as appeals to the Immigration and Refugee Board, Federal Court challenges, or Charter constraints that delay removals
• How CBSA prioritizes high-risk or criminal cases within those constraints
• international cooperation challenges, such as countries refusing to issue travel documents for deportees

Parliamentary analysis – House of Commons

CIMM Study (45th Parliament): Canada's Immigration System

CIMM is currently studying "Canada's Immigration System". It has held 14 out of 15 meetings on this study since September 16, 2025. The CBSA appeared at 3 meetings for this study on October 21, 2025, March 9 and April 20, 2026.

During the October 21 appearance, Conservative members asked VP McCrorie how the Agency handles failed asylum claimants and removals, the number of outstanding removal cases and timelines for clearing its removal backlog. They asked if the CBSA has a departure tracking method. They requested statistics on how many people have departed Canada after exhausting appeals and how often CBSA's non-favorable security recommendations are overturned by IRCC. The Bloc Quebecois member focused on Roxham Road and the land contracts with Pierre Guay, asking whether the government had terminated the contracts with Pierre Guay and the status of the lands from 2023 to 2025.

During the March 9, 2026 meeting, questions to the CBSA official focused on the enforcement of removal orders. Members raised concerns about the low number of removals following admissibility decisions and of foreign nationals with ties to the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corp. They asked about the impact of due process, review mechanisms and evidentiary requirements on delays. They also questioned operational challenges, including limited access to flights to certain countries. Members inquired on the reduction of immigration detention capacity at Immigration Holding Centers and at Ports of Entry. They asked about the use of federal correctional facilities for higher-risk individuals. Questions also addressed the detention review process and the release of individuals prior to removal. Members requested data on inadmissible individuals, including those with alleged ties to the Iranian regime, and their status in the removal inventory. They also asked whether legislative or policy changes could improve the timeliness and effectiveness of removals.

On April 20, 2026, the President appeared alongside the Office of the Auditor General and IRCC to discuss the Auditor General's 2026 report on International Student Program reforms. During this meeting, committee members inquired about CBSA's role in removals, timelines, prioritization after an individual immigration status expires, and coordination with IRCC on information sharing, referrals, and early engagement in cases involving suspected fraud or who do not reply to IRCC's requests for additional information. Members also inquired on the hiring and training of 1,000 officers, detention capacity at Immigration Holding Centres, adequacy of funding to manage increased removal volumes from non-compliant individuals, use of entry/exit data, and CBSA's role in detecting fraud at the border.

SECU study (45th Parliament): CAN-US Border Management

SECU undertook a study on "Canada–United States Border Management" which spanned over five (5) meetings between September 23 and November 27, 2025. The CBSA appeared at two (2) of these meetings (September 23 and October 23, 2025) and was referenced in later testimony, particularly concerning removals, tracking/locating individuals, departure tracking, staffing, and Bill C-12.

Across the study, members raised concerns about CBSA's operational capacity to enforce removals and maintain staffing levels while implementing new legislative and modernization initiatives under Bill C-12.

At the September 23 meeting, Conservative members asked CBSA and Public Safety officials how the government is tracking 30,000 foreign nationals awaiting deportation, and how long it will take to hire and train 1,000 new CBSA officers. They also asked what is being done to find foreign nationals ordered removed who are still in Canada. Officials advised CBSA owns the removals program and that the hiring plan is underway but will take time to complete.

At the October 7 meeting, the Customs and Immigration Union President Mark Webber said the government's staffing promises are unrealistic because CBSA's training centre in Rigaud can only handle a limited number of recruits. He said the Agency has too many managers and not enough frontline officers, and that the current 300 inland enforcement officers are not enough to handle the removals workload. The Bloc Québécois member raised similar concerns and asked about increasing training.

At the October 21 meeting, witnesses from the Peace Bridge and Niagara Falls Bridge Commissions said Bill C-12 could increase costs for border operators and strain CBSA's capacity to implement new enforcement measures. Members from all parties linked these concerns to the Agency's staffing and operational limits. They flagged CBSA's ability to enforce removals and inspections could be affected if it is not properly funded/resourced.

At the October 23 meeting, the Public Safety Minister, the Secretary of State for Combatting Crime, and President O'Gorman were questioned about removals and hiring timelines for the additional officers. Conservative members asked where the 30,000 people awaiting deportation are located, when the 1,000 new hires will start working, and whether CBSA has enough staff for removals. Officials said hiring will be phased in over three to four years, with new intakes starting in November, and that about 200 of the new staff will focus on liaison and inland investigations. The Bloc member asked how many recruits will train at Rigaud.

CIMM and SECU Study (45th Parliament): Bill C-12 – Border Bill

The Standing Committees on Citizenship and Immigration (CIMM) and on Public Safety and National Security (SECU) conducted a study of Bill C-12. The committees held multiple meetings between November 4 and 25, 2025. The CBSA appeared at several of these meetings and was referenced throughout testimony, particularly on removals, inland enforcement, staffing shortages, screening processes, and the operational impacts of Bill C-12. Across both committees, members repeatedly raised concerns about CBSA's ability to enforce removal orders, screen asylum claimants, and hiring/training of the promised 1000 additional CBSA officers.

At the November 4 SECU technical briefing, Conservative Members focused on the 32,000 foreign nationals with enforceable removal orders and asked how many CBSA officers are actively searching for them. CBSA officials said roughly 1,000 inland officers work on Immigration and Refugee Protection Act enforcement and about half are involved in removals, committing to provide exact figures to the committee. Members also questioned CBSA's ability to track individuals who fail to appear and asked whether expanded inspection powers under Bill C-12 can be implemented without additional personnel. Officials acknowledged capacity constraints and advised the government's plan to hire 1,000 new CBSA officers will help but hiring and training will take time.

At the November 6 CIMM meeting, officials from the Immigration and Refugee Board (IRB) appeared to speak to Bill C-12. Members raised removal pressures linked to the asylum backlog, abandoned asylum claims, and the number of people in Canada who do not appear for hearings. Officials confirmed that individuals who leave Canada and re-enter become ineligible, after which responsibility shifts to CBSA for enforcement and removal. Members also explored how C-12's 14-day irregular-entry rule and one-year bar would redirect more cases into the PRRA system, potentially increasing CBSA's removal workload. Liberal members asked about screening timelines to which IRB officials confirmed that CBSA requires six (6) to eight (8) months to complete front-end security screening for asylum applications before IRB hearings can proceed.

At the November 6 SECU, where the Public Safety Minister and President O'Gorman appeared, Conservative members asked for the number of armed officers executing removal orders to which the President committed to provide a breakdown to the committee. The Minister and the President said hiring for the 1,000 officer is being phased in and that about half of inland enforcement staff work on removals. Members also linked removals pressure to the decision of lifting the visa requirement for Mexican nationals (CBSA committed to provide a response in writing on this topic during the SECU October 23 meeting on CAN-US border management) and asked how many people ordered removed for criminality remain in Canada. The Bloc Quebecois member focused on the 14-day rule and said it risks creating Safe Third Country Agreement loopholes exploited by human smugglers and organized crime networks.

At the November 18 CIMM meeting, the Customs and Immigration Union President Mark Webber stated that staffing shortages undermine both removals and screening. He said CBSA remains 2,000–3,000 officers short and that Rigaud can train only about 700 recruits per year, while attrition is roughly 600. He warned that One-Touch intake reduces officer interaction at first contact, making it harder to identify risk indicators (Note: He re-iterated the same concerns at the November 20 SECU meeting). Members also heard that 10 percent of claimants never complete One-Touch forms and must be located later by inland enforcement. The Bloc Quebecois member questioned whether CBSA can handle increased inland enforcement workload caused by Bill C-12's new ineligibility rules without additional resources, pointing to a report of a possible surge of influx in migrants in early February 2026 because of US policies about visas, particularly for Haitians.

At the November 20 CIMM meeting, Conservative members asked the CBSA about the One-Touch screening process and reduced officer interactions with travelers at the border as described by the CIU President at the November 18 CIMM meeting. They also asked whether CBSA has adequate tools to track individuals who do not return for follow-up screening. Bloc members questioned CBSA's capacity to handle increased inland investigations if more claimants are deemed ineligible under C-12. Liberal members requested detailed explanations of CBSA's security screening process, including biometric collection, interview requirements, and CPIC checks, and asked how long removals typically take when claimants fail security screening.

SECU briefing (45th Parliament): Mandate and Priorities (PS Minister)

The Minister of Public Safety appeared at SECU on October 9, 2025, alongside officials from his portfolio, to discuss his mandate and priorities.

During this appearance, committee members questioned the Minister about the government's handling of removal orders, highlighting reports that roughly 600 inadmissible foreign nationals, many with criminal convictions, could not be located for deportation which prompted questions about enforcement priorities, investigative capacity, and public safety implications. Members also examined progress on hiring 1,000 new CBSA officers, asking whether current staffing and training resources are sufficient to support removals and border enforcement. Bloc Québécois member raised concerns about CBSA's operational capacity at rural Quebec border crossings and reduced overnight service hours, questioning whether such decisions weaken security in areas vulnerable to smuggling and irregular crossings. Overall, members across parties questioned CBSA's capacity to enforce removal orders, manage staffing commitments, and maintain border integrity amid public concerns about safety, organized crime, and irregular migration.

CIMM Study – (45th Parliament): International Student Program and Study Permits

The Standing Committee on Citizenship and Immigration (CIMM) conducted a study on "the International Student Program and Study Permits" and held 4 meetings. The CBSA did not appear for this study. The committee's report was adopted on March 25, 2026 and presented to the House of Commons on April 14, 2026. The recommendations in the report does not implicate the Agency.

While the CBSA did not appear for this study, the Agency was referenced several times during testimony from IRCC officials during their appearance on September 24, 2025. During this meeting, committee members questioned officials about removal orders issued to former international students and Post-Graduate Work Permit holders who had made asylum claims. Officials clarified that removals are the responsibility of the CBSA. Members also raised concerns about an estimated 47,000 potentially non-compliant international students. Officials explained that CBSA conducts inland investigations and enforces removals, while IRCC supports these efforts by sharing compliance data. They further noted that CBSA led investigations into approximately 1,500 fraudulent student visa cases in 2023, reinforcing its lead role in enforcement and removals.

SECU Study (44th parliament): Impacts of Donald Trump's Announced Measures on Border Security and Migration

In the 44th parliament, SECU undertook a study on "the impacts of Impacts of Donald Trump's Announced Measures on Border Security and Migration". The committee held one (1) meeting for this study (December 12, 2024) where the CBSA (President O'Gorman and VP McCrorie) and the RCMP appeared.

During this appearance, committee members inquired about an order paper question which showed the government had lost track of 30,000 individuals who were scheduled for removal. The CBSA President advised that the removals inventory is significant and that the CBSA has made a big effort to increase investigations into those who are here illegally. Additionally, members inquired about the impacts of massive deportations of irregular migrants in the US and immigration holding centers capacity to withstand a surge to which the CBSA advised they were prepared (of irregular migrants coming to Canada to escape deportation) noting the application of the Safe Third Country Agreement.

SECU Study (44th parliament): Review of the Foiled Terrorist Plot in Toronto and of the Security Screening Process for Permanent Residence and Citizenship Application

In the 44th parliament, SECU undertook a review of"the Foiled Terrorist Plot in Toronto and of the Security Screening Process for Permanent Residence and Citizenship Application". The committee held four (4) meetings for this study. The CBSA appeared at three meetings (September 19, 2024 and August 28, 2025, with two meetings on the latter date) alongside IRCC, Public Safety, RCMP, and CSIS.

During the appearances, committee members questioned the CBSA's security screening process after an accused individual obtained Canadian status despite risk indicators during the application process. Officials were pressed on security screening failures, removal statistics (those removed vs those pending removal), and detection of falsified records, while citing reports of suspected terrorists entering Canada. CBSA officials emphasized that Canada's system is comprehensive, layered, and under active review. Committee members discussed resource needs, collaboration/information sharing among agencies, and prevention measures going forward.

Questions, Statements, and Debates in the House

1. Question Period:

• September 25, 2025 - James Bezan (Selkirk-Interlake-Eastman) - Removals - 600 Foreign Nationals
• September 24, 2025 - John Brassard (Barrie South – Innisfill) - Removals - 600 Foreign Nationals
• September 23, 2025 - Michelle Rempel Garner (Calgary – Nose Hill) CPC - Removals - 600 Foreign Nationals

2. Petitions:

• June 30, 2025 – MP Jenny Kwan (Vancouver East, BC, NDP) Petition e-6627 – Borders ,Bill C-2, Public Safety
• May 28, 2025 - MP Heather McPherson (Edmonton Strathcona, AB, NDP) Petition e-6506 - Canada–U.S. Safe Third Country Agreement, Asylum, Canada-United States relations
• October 30, 2024 – MP Jeremy Patzer (Cypress Hills—Grasslands, SK, CPC) Petition 441-02793 – Reduction in Border Services

Media Responses

Q1) I would like to know if there are any updates on the search for Jagdeep Singh?

We are working with police forces to locate the individual. Anyone with information is asked to call 911.

Q2) I am also wondering if you can tell me who was guarding him at the time of his escape. I understand the CBSA hired security company Guarda for the task. Can you confirm and can you tell me if it is standard practice to contract out the guarding of a detainee?

Q3) My understanding is that anyone under arrest must remain in the company of a peace officer. Does the hiring of Guarda security align with that requirement?

It is standard practice for the CBSA to use contracted guards to maintain custody and control of all detained individuals 24 hours per day, seven days per week. The guards keep individuals safe and secure through regular observation, monitoring, engagement, and intervention. Guards are also responsible for transporting individuals, including their luggage and personal effects, to and from various locations as required.

The individual was in the custody of contracted guards prior to escaping. We are taking this issue very seriously and are conducting a full review of the incident.

A person's immigration information is considered personal information and protected under the Privacy Act. Due to the privacy provisions of the legislation, and to protect the integrity of the investigation process, the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) is unable to provide any further information at this time.

The CBSA takes appropriate enforcement action when it identifies individuals who are not in compliance with immigration legislation. Any foreign national who fails to comply with Canadian immigration laws risks serious consequences which may include removal from Canada. More information on removals and detention can be found here: Enforcing immigration laws in Canada.

Q1. I'm referring to the data from this e-mail thread, sent to me and Joe Friesen last year [see below]. I'm working on a story about foreign nationals holding post-graduate work permits (PGWPs) that have expired. I was hoping to get a number of updated data points.

• How many PGWP holders are believed to have overstayed their permits, currently?
• How many PGWP holders overstayed their permits in 2024?
• How many foreign nationals on expired PGWPs has CBSA removed this year and last year?
• How many foreign nationals on any expired permit has CBSA removed this year and last year?

Foreign nationals holding post-graduate work permits that do not leave Canada at the end of their stay are reported inadmissible for non-compliance. System limitations do not allow us to disaggregate the sub-groups of the general 'non-compliance' inadmissibility.

Please refer to the Current Removal Inventory table on our Removal Program Statistics webpage. Temporary residents who remain in Canada beyond their status are classified under the following type of inadmissibility: Non-compliance (s. 41) - non-claimants for asylum. This is a broad category that includes various reasons why a person may be inadmissible for non-compliance, such as overstaying the time they were permitted to remain in Canada as well as studying and working without authorization or not being in compliance with specific conditions of their authorized study or work permit.

Foreign nationals are expected to respect the conditions of their entry and leave Canada when the authorized period of stay has ended. When we become aware of situations where foreign nationals may be inadmissible, the CBSA will initiate an investigation. In the case of foreign students who have overstayed their study permits, a Minister's Delegate has the authority to issue a removal order. Depending on the inadmissibility ground and status of the individual, other types of cases may be referred to the Immigration Division at the Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada (IRB) for an inadmissibility determination.

Q2. What is CBSA's policy when it comes to removing foreign nationals who hold expired PGWPs?

The CBSA is mandated to remove as soon as possible all foreign nationals who are inadmissible to Canada and subject to an enforceable removal order. Cases involving security, organized crime, human rights violations and criminality are considered to be of the highest priority for the safety and security of Canada and its citizens. Failed refugee claimants are the next priority and all other immigration violations are considered thereafter. It is important to note that even though the latter group is a lower priority, it is necessary to action these removals due to their impact on the immigration system.

The timely removal of inadmissible foreign nationals plays a critical role in supporting the integrity of Canada's immigration system. There are multiple steps built into the process to ensure procedural fairness and the CBSA only actions a removal order once all legal avenues of recourse that can stay a removal have been exhausted. All individuals issued a removal order for non-compliance may be eligible to seek redress through the Federal Court of Canada (judicial review) and IRCC (Pre-removal risk assessment). Please visit the CBSA website for more information about removals.

The CBSA removed over 18,000 inadmissible people last fiscal year – the most in a decade. The Border Plan provides funding for the CBSA to increase the rate at which it removes inadmissible people from Canada, to complete 20,000 removals for each of the next two fiscal years. To reach this target, the CBSA has hired approximately 30 additional frontline personnel, allowing for an increase in the number of interviews with inadmissible foreign nationals facing removal from Canada. The Agency is taking steps toward meeting its commitment to completing 20,000 removals by March 31, 2026 and maintaining that cadence the following fiscal year. More information and statistics on removals are available online: CBSA removals program statistics.

Under The Safe Third Country Agreement (STCA) between Canada and the United States (U.S.), refugee claimants are required to request refugee protection in the first safe country they arrive in, unless they qualify for an exception to the Agreement. In March 2023, the governments of Canada and the United States announced an additional protocol to the STCA, extending its scope to the entire land border.

When a person makes a claim for refugee protection at a port of entry, Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) officers will conduct an examination – including an interview – to determine if the claim is eligible for referral to the Immigration and Refugee Board (IRB) of Canada's Refugee Protection Division.

As part of the eligibility determination, officers will determine if, based on the circumstances of their seeking entry to Canada, the refugee claimant is subject to the STCA or Additional Protocol. As per s.100(1)(1.1) of the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act (IRPA), the onus is on the refugee claimant to provide the officer with evidence (documentary and/or testamentary) that their claim is eligible. Officers will consider all relevant information, including the claimant's own statements and documentary evidence.

If the claim qualifies, the individual's file will be forwarded to the IRB for review, and the person will be allowed to enter Canada to pursue their claim for protection.

If the refugee claimant is subject to the STCA, meaning that no exemption or exception is claimed or identified, then the officer will find the claim ineligible under IRPA s.101(1)(e) and the claimant will be reported as inadmissible, issued a removal order, and then removed back to the United States. With this type of ineligibility, the removal order comes into force on the same day as the ineligibility determination and the individual is generally removed to the United States that same day – or at the earliest availability.

When an individual is found to be ineligible under the STCA, the CBSA will typically send written notice to and/or call the U.S. CBP officials at the U.S. port of entry prior to their removal from Canada and will arrange for the individual's transportation back to the U.S. port of entry. For all cases found ineligible under the STCA or Additional Protocol, the CBSA will provide supporting documentation under strict parameters to establish that the person should be returned to the U.S. This includes both persons who entered Canada at a CBSA port of entry or who entered Canada between the ports.

Upon removal to the United States, ineligible asylum claimants enter the care of U.S. Customs and Border Protection (U.S. CBP). The CBSA's involvement ends when ineligible asylum claimants are transferred to the United States.

For detailed asylum claimant statistics, you can consult the following webpages: Asylum statistics, trends and data and Claims by Country of Alleged Persecution – 2025.

For more information, I would invite you to consult the following webpages: Claiming refugee protection (asylum) at the border when you enter Canada, Meet the requirements to submit a refugee claim, Processing in-Canada claims for protection – Safe Third Country Agreement and What to expect at the border.

The Canada Border Services Agency's (CBSA) resources are strategically allocated to respond to the threats and responsibilities at ports of entry. The CBSA has more than 8,500 frontline personnel who work across the country and around the world to keep our border safe. This includes border services officers, trade officers, intelligence officers and investigators.

The CBSA undertakes rigorous planning to deploy sufficient frontline officers who are trained and equipped to stop dangerous weapons, drugs and people from entering Canada. Since 2020, the number of active frontline personnel has grown by 4%, from approximately 7,900 to approximately 8,500, in response to increased pressures at our border.

The Government of Canada has committed to hiring 1,000 additional CBSA officers under Budget 2025 and the Border Plan. We are bolstering our frontlines and ensuring that they have the tools and technology they need to continue to interdict illicit drugs and illegal firearms.

In Canada, border security and integrity is a shared mandate between the CBSA and the Royal Canadian Mounted Police. The CBSA is responsible for enforcing the law at designated ports of entry in Canada and the RCMP is responsible for enforcing Canadian legislation between ports of entry.

All foreign nationals who make a refugee claim are subject to a rigorous risk assessment, including mandatory screening questions, biometrics, a search of criminal history databases, and an officer interview.

All eligible refugee claimants who are allowed in Canada must fulfill their responsibilities to pursue their claim, whether they are subject to the One Touch process or not. This includes the requirement to provide additional information to the Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada before a decision can be made on if they can remain in Canada.

The One Touch process allows low-risk refugee claimants to finalize aspects of their refugee application in Canada by submitting additional administrative details (such as education history) through Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada's online portal after departing the port of entry, rather than this information being collected and entered by a border services officer. An expedited processing method for low-risk claimants allows officers to focus on interviews and risk assessment, rather than data entry for low-risk claimants. No risk assessment, security or enforcement requirements are removed by using One Touch processing.

The CBSA and Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada track refugee claims and follows up directly with claimants who have not submitted their administrative details. Refugee claimants are issued removal orders from Canada if they don't pursue their claim as required or if it is not approved by the Refugee Board of Canada.

The CBSA has the authority to investigate, detain, and remove foreign nationals who are found to be inadmissible to Canada. We employ over 200 criminal investigators across Canada who investigate individuals who commit offences against Canada's border legislation. Mechanisms are in place to identify and manage these cases and Bill C-12 would strengthen these mechanisms.

All foreign national who make a refugee claim are subject to a rigorous risk assessment, including mandatory screening questions, biometrics, a search of criminal history databases, and an officer interview.

All eligible refugee claimants who are allowed in Canada must fulfill their responsibilities to pursue their claim, whether they are subject to the One Touch process or not. This includes the requirement to provide additional information to the Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada before a decision can be made on if they can remain in Canada.

The CBSA and Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada track refugee claims and follows up directly with claimants who have not submitted their administrative details.

Refugee claimants are issued removal orders from Canada if they don't pursue their claim as required or if it is not approved by the Refugee Board of Canada.

The CBSA has the authority to investigate, detain, and remove foreign nationals who are found to be inadmissible to Canada. We employ over 200 criminal investigators across Canada who investigate individuals who commit offences against Canada's border legislation. Mechanisms are in place to identify and manage these cases and Bill C-12 would strengthen these mechanisms.

One Touch processing allows low-risk eligible refugee claimants to finalize aspects of their refugee application in Canada by submitting additional administrative details (such as education history) through Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada's (IRCC) online portal after departing the port of entry, rather than this information being collected and entered by a border services officer. An expedited processing method for low-risk claimants allows officers to focus on interviews and risk assessment, rather than data entry for low-risk claimants. No risk assessment, security or enforcement requirements are removed by using One Touch processing for any claimants. To be clear, there is no One Touch mobile application.

The Canada Border Services Agency's (CBSA) refugee processing model, which includes One Touch and full case processing, prioritizes the immediate completion of risk assessment for all claimants to maintain safety, security, and asylum program integrity.

When a foreign national makes a claim for refugee protection to the CBSA, border services officers conduct an in-person examination and risk assessment, which includes the collection and review of mandatory screening questions, biometrics, criminality, a search of criminal history databases, and an officer interview. Officers confirm a claimant's identity and determine whether they are admissible to Canada before determining whether the claim is eligible for referral to the Refugee Protection Division (RPD) of the Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada (IRB). After officers complete their assessment, they determine how the claim will be processed. Full refugee processing must be completed unless the officer is satisfied the claimant is low-risk and eligible. Officers can only utilize One Touch processing on low-risk eligible claimants.

One Touch processing, which has been used since 2022, allows low-risk eligible refugee claimants to finalize the administrative aspects of their refugee application in Canada. The primary difference for claimants processed under One Touch processing is that they submit additional administrative details (such as education history) through Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada's (IRCC) online portal after departing the port of entry, rather than this information being collected and entered by a border services officer. An expedited processing method for low-risk claimants allows officers to focus on interviews and risk assessment, rather than data entry for low-risk claimants. No security or enforcement requirements are removed from the process for any claimants. To be clear, there is no One Touch mobile application.

If the claimant is ineligible under the Canada-US Safe Third Country Agreement, they conclude processing and the claimant is removed back to the United States.

The Immigration and Refugee Protection Act (IRPA) and its Regulations establish the requirements to enter and remain in Canada.

Only Canadian citizens, permanent residents, and persons registered as an Indian under the Indian Act enter Canada by right [A19]. Foreign nationals seeking to visit, study, or work in Canada must establish that they hold a valid visa (unless exempted) and that they will leave Canada by the end of the period authorized for their stay [A20(1)(b)]. Most foreign nationals must obtain a visa or electronic travel authorization before travelling to Canada [A11], with limited exceptions including for U.S. citizens and U.S. permanent residents [R7.1(3)(b)]. Please visit Entry requirements by country or territory for more information.

All travellers seeking entry to Canada must appear for an examination on arrival to determine whether they enter by right or may become authorized to enter [A18(1)]. Each traveller's application is assessed on a case-by-case basis, using the information available at the time of entry. Having obtained a visa or electronic travel authorization does not guarantee entry to Canada, as foreign nationals must continue to meet the requirements for temporary residency at the time of examination [R180]. If the examination reveals that they are inadmissible on grounds of criminality, misrepresentation, or other reasons described in the IRPA, they could be allowed to leave Canada voluntarily or be reported as inadmissible and face formal removal proceedings. A complete list of reasons for inadmissibility can be found under Sections 34 to 42 of the IRPA.

There is no compassionate visa category for temporary residence, however permanent resident applications may consider humanitarian and compassionate grounds at an applicant's request pursuant to A25(1). For more information, please consult Guide 5291 - Humanitarian and Compassionate Considerations or contact Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada.

Foreign nationals who are authorized entry to Canada as temporary residents will need to make a new application (as in, appear for examination again) should they leave the country and later seek to return, even if they hold a multiple-entry visa valid for travel back to Canada. The CBSA cannot provide advance decisions on whether a foreign national who left Canada would later be authorized to re-enter. Each situation is unique, and therefore we do not speculate on individual outcomes.

For this calendar year, the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) has processed 31,312 asylum applications in Canada as of November 16, 2025. By the same date last year, the Agency had processed 53,933 asylum applications in Canada. This represents a reduction of approximately 42%. This includes all asylum applications, including those deemed ineligible.

For the current year, the CBSA in the province of Quebec has processed 20,434 asylum applications as November 16, 2025. By the same date last year, the Agency had processed 28,761 asylum applications in Quebec.

From January 1 to November 16, 2025, 14,533 asylum applications were received at the Saint-Bernard-de-Lacolle port of entry, compared to 7,015 for the same period in 2024.

Elsewhere in the country:

1. For the current year, the CBSA in Ontario has processed 9,064 asylum applications as of November 16, 2025. By the same date last year, the Agency had processed 22,355 asylum applications in Ontario
2. For the current year, the CBSA in British Columbia has processed 1,058 asylum applications as of November 16, 2025. By the same date last year, the Agency had processed 1,746 asylum applications in British Columbia
3. For the current year, the CBSA in Alberta has processed 458 asylum applications as of November 16, 2025. By the same date last year, the Agency had processed 815 asylum applications in Alberta
4. For the current year, the CBSA in Manitoba has processed 146 asylum applications as of November 16, 2025. By the same date last year, the Agency had processed 164 asylum applications in Manitoba
5. For the current year, the CBSA in New Brunswick has processed 53 asylum applications as of November 16, 2025. By the same date last year, the Agency had processed 27 asylum applications in New Brunswick
6. For the current year, the CBSA in Saskatchewan has processed 57 asylum applications as of November 16, 2025. By the same date last year, the Agency had processed 27 asylum applications in Saskatchewan
7. For the current year, the CBSA in Nova Scotia has processed 32 asylum applications as of November 16, 2025. By the same date last year, the Agency had processed 35 asylum applications in Nova Scotia
8. For the current year, the CBSA in Newfoundland and Labrador has processed 7 asylum applications as of November 16, 2025. By the same date last year, the Agency had processed 3 asylum applications in Newfoundland and Labrador
9. For the current year, the CBSA in the Yukon Territory has processed 3 asylum applications as of November 16, 2025. By the same date last year, the Agency had processed 0 asylum applications in the Yukon
10. The CBSA in P.E.I. and all other territories had no claims in both time periods

In March 2023, the governments of Canada and the United States announced an additional protocol to the Safe Third Country Agreement (STCA), extending its scope to the entire land border. If a person fails to meet an exception to the STCA, he or she will be returned to the United States. If the claim qualifies, the person's file will be forwarded to the Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada for review, and the person will be allowed to enter Canada to pursue his or her claim for protection.

From January 1 to November 17, 3,958 asylum claimants were removed to the U.S. for their ineligibility under the STCA.

These are the top 10 countries of citizenship for asylum claimants processed at CBSA land border ports of entry in 2025, as of November 16. This includes claimants who entered irregularly between ports of entry and were subsequently brought to a land port of entry for CBSA processing. The list is in descending order:

1. Haiti
2. USA
3. Venezuela
4. Colombia
5. Pakistan
6. Chile
7. Romania
8. Nicaragua
9. Afghanistan
10. Mexico

The following table shows the number of foreign nationals who appeared at a Canadian port of entry, made a claim for refugee protection, and were found ineligible under the STCA and subsequently removed to the United States:

The following table shows the number of foreign nationals who crossed into Canada between ports of entry, made a claim for refugee protection, and were found ineligible under the STCA Additional Protocol and subsequently removed to the United States:

A person's immigration information is considered personal information and protected under the Privacy Act. Due to the privacy provisions of the legislation, and to protect the integrity of the investigation process, the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) is unable to provide any further information at this time.

The CBSA takes appropriate enforcement action when it identifies individuals who are not in compliance with immigration legislation. Any foreign national who fails to comply with Canadian immigration laws risks serious consequences which may include removal from Canada. More information on removals and detention can be found here: Enforcing immigration laws in Canada.

The timely removal of inadmissible foreign nationals plays a critical role in supporting the integrity of Canada's immigration system. Our priority is to remove inadmissible individuals from Canada as soon as possible, with a particular focus on individuals who are inadmissible for reasons such as serious criminality.

Please visit the CBSA website for more information about removals. For publicly available information, please refer to the courts or the IRB.

The Canada Border Services Agency's (CBSA) Pacific Region Immigration Enforcement and Intelligence and Investigations Operations are an integral part of the Extortion Task Force. Their role is to assist in the execution of search warrants, conduct Immigration and Refugee Protection Act (IRPA) investigations and share information with law enforcement partners.

The CBSA supports law enforcement investigations into kidnapping and extortion when there is a border nexus and provides information that furthers local or federal investigations. The CBSA is mandated under the IRPA to remove inadmissible foreign nationals as soon as possible. Inland Enforcement Officers have the powers of a peace officer for the purposes of enforcing the IRPA and have the authority to investigate, detain, and remove foreign nationals who are found to be inadmissible to Canada.

The IRPA sets out inadmissibility categories, which include:

• Security grounds
• Criminality
• Transborder Criminality
• Organized criminality
• Misrepresentation
• Non-compliance with IRPA

Due to the privacy provisions of the legislation, and to protect the integrity of the investigation process, the CBSA is unable to provide any further information.

What we can tell you is that the CBSA has a legal obligation to remove as quickly as possible all foreign nationals who are inadmissible to Canada under the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act (IRPA) and are subject to an enforceable removal order. The process for determining inadmissibility begins with the issuance of a 44 report that outlines the inadmissibility and referral of the report to an authorized decision-maker: Minister's Delegate or an Immigration Division Member for an admissibility hearing at the Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada (IRB) where a determination is made on whether to issue a removal order.

It should be noted that criminal proceedings take precedence over immigration matters, which will delay a removal. However, many of the processes can be conducted concurrently to a person serving their sentence, ensuring that once a criminal sentence has been completed, and due process is completed, the CBSA will carry out their removal.

Anyone with information about suspicious cross-border activity is encouraged to call the toll-free CBSA Border Watch line at 1-888-502-9060.

The Canada Border Services Agency's (CBSA) cannot provide comment on specific cases as a person's immigration and border information is considered personal information and is protected by the Privacy Act.

The CBSA role is to assess the security risk and admissibility of persons coming to Canada. This process may include primary interviews and secondary inspections. This means that all travellers, foreign nationals and those who enter Canada by right, may be referred for further inspection. Secondary inspections are part of the cross-border process and enables the CBSA to ensure travellers to Canada are complying with Canada's laws and regulations.

There are many reasons why a border services officer may determine that an individual, or the goods they are carrying, require further processing or inspection, including:

1. verify declaration and travel documents
2. ask more in-depth questions about the traveller
3. determine admissibility to Canada (whether the traveller is allowed to enter Canada)
4. inspect and determine the admissibility of the goods being brought across the border, including conveyances (examples: vehicle, vessel, aircraft, trailer) as well as food, plants or animal products
5. process paperwork for reported currency, cheques or monetary instruments equal to or greater than CAN$10,000

CBSA Officers do not refer travellers for secondary inspections on the basis of race, nationality, religion, age or gender.

The CBSA administers more than 100 acts, regulations and international agreements, many on behalf of other federal departments and agencies, the provinces and the territories. These include the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act (IRPA), the Customs Act, and food, plant and animal regulations. CBSA officers are authorized by these laws and regulations to conduct secondary inspections, including the inspection of travellers and goods, at Canadian ports of entry.

It is important to note that travellers referred to secondary inspection are not being "detained". Foreign nationals seeking entry into Canada can be subjected to a secondary inspection by an officer to determine admissibility to Canada. In some instances, the inspection may take longer due to information being gathered through questioning. This is part of normal processing and the CBSA's mandate under the IRPA.

A foreign national or permanent resident can be detained when there are reasonable grounds to believe they are a danger to the public, a flight risk for immigration processes, unable to satisfy the officer of their identity (foreign nationals only), or reasonable grounds to suspect they are inadmissible to Canada for security concerns, human rights violations or criminality. For more information on detention: Immigration detention in Canada.

Once the secondary inspection has been completed, if the traveller has been deemed admissible to Canada, they are free to enter Canada. If a CBSA officer believes the traveller to be inadmissible, there are several options, such as being reported inadmissible and issued a removal order, allowed to leave Canada voluntarily or issued a temporary resident permit should the traveller have a valid reason to enter Canada that outweighs the health or safety risks to Canadian society. Information on the TRP application process is available on the Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada website.

For more information on secondary inspections, please visit Canadian customs: Secondary inspections.

Q1) Number of operations: Please provide the number of CBSA "planned regulatory compliance" operations that involved monitoring and removing foreign nationals who are in Canada unlawfully over the past 3–5 years, broken down annually. Please provide locations, provinces these operations take place if possible (i.e., worksites, residential buildings, other etc. )

Foreign nationals admitted into Canada have an authorized period of entry and conditions of their stay established upon arrival, based on their individual circumstances. They are required to comply with those conditions and leave Canada at the end of their authorized period of stay unless they apply for and receive an extension of their status. When the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) becomes aware of individuals who are in violation of immigration legislation, the Agency will take appropriate enforcement action.

The CBSA can provide national statistics for the annual number of inadmissibility investigations into possible non-compliance with the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act (IRPA) that it has concluded, which include workplace investigations. Please note that non-compliance is a broad category that includes circumstances such as remaining in Canada beyond a foreign national's authorized period of stay, working without authorization, studying without authorization, and returning to Canada without authorization.

Q2) Results of operations: Please provide the number of arrests or removals (deportations) of foreign nationals that resulted from these operations, broken down annually if available. Please indicate whether all individuals arrested or removed were in Canada without legal status, or if any held valid status at the time of the operation.

The CBSA takes appropriate enforcement action when it identifies individuals who are not in compliance with immigration legislation. The IRPA sets out various inadmissibility categories. The IRPA imposes certain obligations on officers as well as some flexibility in managing cases in accordance with IRPA objectives. For example, the IRPA does not permit proactive arrest and detention of all persons subject to immigration enforcement and CBSA officials must assess specific factors prescribed in the Immigration and Refugee Protection Regulations when considering immigration enforcement. This means that not everyone who is inadmissible will be automatically arrested and detained. In addition, the IRPA prescribes that a standard of proof be met, with sufficient evidence required in order to prove an inadmissibility allegation. Furthermore, it is important to note that an individual can be inadmissible for multiple allegations at the same time. In all cases, however, foreign nationals can only be removed once they are found inadmissible, are subject to an enforceable removal order, and have exhausted available relief mechanisms.

Please visit our website for detailed CBSA removals program statistics which show year-over-year removal totals by inadmissibility grounds including non-compliance with the IRPA.

Q3) Rationale for increase: Please explain why these operations appear to have increased in frequency over time.

The last several years has seen an increase in foreign nationals being admitted into Canada either as visitors, workers, or students. While the vast majority of foreign nationals comply with the conditions of their entry, some do not and they then become subject to immigration enforcement. The increase in immigration enforcement is consistent with the increase in the number of foreign nationals admitted to Canada.

Q4) Nature and purpose of these operations: Please explain the purpose of these "planned regulatory compliance" operations that deal with monitoring and removing foreign nationals without status, including:

a) How they are initiated,
b) What agencies are typically involved
c) What criteria or intelligence triggers such operations, and
d) How CBSA ensures these operations do not result in racial profiling or unlawful questioning

Two of the IRPA's objectives are directly linked to the CBSA's enforcement mandate, namely to protect the health and safety of Canadians and maintain the security of Canadian society, and to promote international justice and security by fostering respect for human rights and by denying access to Canadian territory to foreign nationals who are criminals or security risks. The IRPA sets out various inadmissibility categories, along with applicable standards of proof. CBSA officers involved in the enforcement of the IRPA must consider and weigh all facts and evidence and ensure that actions taken support the objectives of the IRPA and are consistent with the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms and the principles of natural justice and procedural fairness.

The CBSA receives and acts upon information received from various sources, including referrals from law enforcement agencies, other government departments, and the public. The CBSA also operates a tip line that allows the public to share information or directly report on the whereabouts of those who are inadmissible to Canada. Anyone with information about suspicious cross-border activity is encouraged to call the toll-free Border Watch Line at 1-888-502-9060 or fill out the secure online reporting form. All tips received are reviewed, triaged, and assigned to officers for investigations based on established priorities. The CBSA allocates its resources strategically to prioritize its public safety mandate. It places the highest priority on the investigation and removal of cases involving national security, organized crime, crimes against humanity, and criminality.

The CBSA has the mandate to conduct investigations and enforcement under the IRPA. That said, the CBSA may participate in joint operations with law enforcement partners if the proposed initiative supports the CBSA mandate and where there is legal authority to do so. For example, a law enforcement agency may be investigating criminal offences and there is information that individuals involved may also be subject to immigration warrants.

Workplace investigations are an important tool to identify those who should not be in the country. They may cause a temporary disruption at the workplace but they are critical to ensuring compliance with the law. CBSA officers may exercise their designated peace officer authorities by conducting ID checks for the purpose of administering and enforcing the IRPA.

A finding of inadmissibility begins with an allegation by an officer pursuant to subsection 44(1) of the IRPA. The report must be substantiated before a second official (i.e., a Minister's Delegate). Depending on the grounds of inadmissibility, the decision whether to issue a removal order will either be within the jurisdiction of the Minister's Delegate, or else the Minister's Delegate will need to refer the inadmissibility report to the Immigration Division (ID) of the Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada for an admissibility hearing. The Minister's Delegate has jurisdiction to issue removal orders for cases involving straightforward, fact-based assessments. Admissibility determinations based on more complex or nuanced evidence fall within the jurisdiction of the ID. Everyone ordered removed from Canada is entitled to due process before the law and removal orders are subject to various levels of appeal. Once a removal order becomes enforceable, individuals are expected to obey the law and leave Canada or be subject to removal proceedings.

Q1) In regards to these cases, can you elaborate a little on what the CBSA can and can't comment on? Specifically - I take it your role is to remove people who have been found inadmissible. So are you unable to provide their names in this case because of a particular statute or order ... or are you saying that would be up to the IRB to release? Essentially, I'm asking you to be a bit more specific about the privacy concerns involving these cases. As you can understand - where an admissibility hearing has been held, and the results are public, I am asking for information. If those hearings are subject to publication bans - that of course would be a different matter, but I would like specifics on those reasons.

A person's border and immigration information is considered personal information, which is protected by the Privacy Act. Removal orders are issued to individual foreign nationals who are inadmissible to Canada. They are not publicly available or searchable documents.

When the Canada Border Services Agency reports someone as inadmissible to Canada, that report is referred to an authorized decision-maker. Certain types of inadmissibility grounds require a decision by an Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada (IRB) Member on whether to issue a removal order. In such cases, there may be public records of the admissibility hearing that are available upon request to the IRB. Removal orders for other types of alleged inadmissibility can be issued by a Minister's Delegate. In these cases, there would be no public records associated with the decision to remove, except potentially if the foreign national made an appeal of the decision before the IRB or applied for leave and judicial review before Federal Court.

In the three cases you referenced, issuance of the removal orders did not require an IRB Member decision.

Biographies

Committee Members

About the Committee

SECU was created on April 5, 2006, at the start of the 39th Parliament. The Committee is responsible for one of the largest departmental portfolios, including close to 140 statutes administered by the Department of Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness and its agencies, including the CBSA.

Committee Mandate

SECU reviews the legislation, policies, programs and expenditure plans of government departments and agencies responsible for public safety and national security, policing and law enforcement, corrections and conditional release of federal offenders, emergency management, crime prevention and the protection of Canada's borders.

The Standing Orders of the House of Commons provide that the committee may review and report on:

• Legislation proposed by the government or Members of Parliament
• Immediate, medium- and long-term expenditure plans, and the effectiveness of their implementation by the department
• An analysis of the relative success of the relevant department, as measured by the results obtained as compared with its stated objectives
• Other matters relating to the mandate, management, organization, or operation of the department in question, as the Committee deems fit

The committee examines the policies, programs and statutes relating to the following departments and agencies:

• Public Safety Canada (PS)
• Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA)
• Canadian Security Intelligence Service (CSIS)
• Correctional Service Canada (CSC)
• Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP)
• Parole Board of Canada (PBC)
• Civilian Review and Complaints Commission for the RCMP (CRCC)
• RCMP External Review Committee (ERC)
• Office of the Correctional Investigator (OCI)

CBSA-related Studies (45th Parliament)

• Growing Problem of Car Thefts in Canada (Update on Implementation of the National Action Plan to Combat Auto Theft)
  • Report 1 - Fighting the phenomenon of vehicle thefts in Canada
• Mandate and Priorities of the Minister of Public Safety
• Canada-United States Border Management
• Foreign Nationals (Removals)
• H2O Highway Corridor and Port Clearance Practices

CBSA-related Legislation (45th Parliament)

Bill C-12, An Act respecting certain measures relating to the security of Canada's borders and the integrity of the Canadian immigration system and respecting other related security measures

Committee Members biographies

Jean Yves Duclos (Chair)

Political affiliation: Liberal Party of Canada
Constituency: Québec Centre

• Former cabinet minister (Health, Procurement, Treasury Board, Families and Children)
• First elected 2015, re-elected in 2019, 2021, 2025
• Formerly head of Economics department at Laval University
• As former cabinet member, he is well acquainted with high-profile files, particularly those involving procurement and transparency in contracting and spending decisions

Frank Caputo (Vice-Chair)

Political affiliation: Conservative Party of Canada
Constituency: Kamloops – Thompson – Nicola
Shadow Minister for Public Safety

• Previously worked as Crown Prosecutor and Law Professor
• First elected in 2021 and re-elected in 2025
• Previous committee memberships:
  • SECU (April to September 2024)
  • ACVA (December 2021 to October 2022)
  • ETHI (September 2024 to January 2025)
  • JUST (October 2022 to April 2024)
• Member of several interparliamentary groups
• Legal background provides strong footing in oversight of law enforcement, corrections, and security policy
• Interests: Bail reform, child predators

Claude DeBellefeuille (Vice-Chair)

Political affiliation: Bloc Québécois
Constituency: Beauharnois—Salaberry—Soulanges—Huntingdon
Critic for Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness (since 2025)

• Profession/Occupation: Social worker, Chief of Staff in Quebec provincial government
• First elected in 2006 and served until 2011, then re-elected in 2019, 2021, and 2025
• Served as party's Chief Whip (2019 to 2024), was previously critic for Canadian Heritage and Natural Resources (2006 to 2008)
• From a border community, supports border security and resources for border officers, including off-site patrolling, and exit controls

Sima Acan

Political affiliation: Liberal Party of Canada
Constituency: Oakville West

• First elected in April 2025
• First Canadian MP of Turkish descent
• Holds an engineering degree, immigrated in 2007
• Entrepreneur: owns a local robotics company and served as president of the Federation of Canadian Turkish Associations
• Brings a community-focused, tech-savvy lens to public safety and security discussions
• Has called for faster convictions and smarter crime prevention measures

Anthony Housefather

Political affiliation: Liberal Party of Canada
Constituency: Mount Royal
Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Emergency Management and Community Resilience Liberal

• First elected in April 2025
• Holds a Bachelor of Civil Law and a Bachelor of Laws from McGill University, and a Master of Business Administration from Concordia University's John Molson School of Business
• Serves as Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Emergency Management and Community Resilience
• Previously served as Parliamentary Secretary to the President of the Treasury Board, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Public Services and Procurement and Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Labour
• Served as Chair of the Standing Committee on Justice and Human Rights
• Served as Special Advisor to the Prime Minister on Jewish Community Issues and Antisemitism and is co-chair of the Inter-Parliamentary Task Force on Online Antisemitism

Ali Ehsassi

Political affiliation: Liberal Party of Canada
Constituency: Willowdale

• First elected in 2015; re-elected in 2019, 2021, and 2025
• Parliamentary Secretary to the President of the King's Privy Council for Canada and Minister responsible for Canada-U.S. Trade
• Previously Chair of the Foreign Affairs committee; has also served on INDU, ETHI, JUST, and CIMM
• Father was Iranian diplomat and worked in Iran's embassy in Switzerland, family left Iran during Iranian Revolution
• Opposes the Iranian government and has called for a public inquiry into potential Iranian interference in Canadian elections

Rhonda Kirkland

Political affiliation: Conservative Party of Canada
Constituency: Oshawa

• First elected in April 2025
• Worked for twenty years as certified educational therapist and local childhood development advocate
• Helped advance federal legislation related to victims' rights and human trafficking
• Active community member with volunteer roles in local Rotary Club and numerous political campaigns, including that of her MP predecessor Colin Carrie

Dane Lloyd

Political affiliation: Conservative Party of Canada
Constituency: Parkland, Alberta
Shadow Minister for Emergency Preparedness and Community Resilience

• First elected in 2017, re-elected in 2019, 2021 and 2025
• Former Shadow Minister for:
  • Digital Government (September 2020 to February 2021)
  • Rural Economic Development (February 2021 to November 2021)
• Holds a BA in History & Political Science and serves as a Captain in the Canadian Army Reserve
• Has spoken out about safe supply program
• Prior to recent revision, his riding included Villeneuve Airport (airport of entry)

Marcus Powlowski

Political affiliation: Liberal Party of Canada
Constituency: Thunder Bay—Rainy River

• First elected in 2019
• Represents a riding along the border
• Previously served on the Standing Committee on Health, the Standing Committee on National Defence, and the Standing Committee on Indigenous and Northern Affairs
• Before being elected, he worked as an Emergency Room physician in Thunder Bay for 15 years and spent seven years practicing medicine in developing countries
• Known for his advocacy in health, including drafting a private member's bill on forced labour in supply chains that was merged into Bill S-211
• In addition to being a medical doctor, he has two law degrees - LL.B, LL.M from the universities of Toronto and Georgetown, respectively. He also attended Harvard University and obtained a Masters of Public Health in Health Law and Policy

Jacques Ramsay

Political affiliation: Liberal Party of Canada
Constituency: La Prairie—Atateken
Parliamentary Secretary to Public Safety Minister

• First elected in April 2025
• Has been a doctor since 1987, and has worked in several countries, and then in Montreal in various specialties
• Serves as Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Public Safety

Marianne Dandurand

Political affiliation: Liberal Party of Canada
Constituency: Compton—Stanstead

• First elected in April 2025
• Also serves on the Standing Committees on Agriculture and Agri-Food
• Holds a bachelor's degree in applied politics and a master's degree in business administration with a concentration in marketing from the Université de Sherbrooke
• Worked as a journalist at La Tribune in Sherbrooke
• Taught statistical analysis at the Université de Sherbrooke
• Worked over fifteen years in the tourism industry as an entrepreneur in market research specializing in analyzing the economic impact of events
• Served as chief of staff to former federal ministers Marie-Claude Bibeau (Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada) and Élisabeth Brière (National Revenue)
• Elected Chair of the Liberal Rural Caucus

Amandeep Sodhi

Political affiliation: Liberal Party of Canada
Constituency: Brampton Centre

• First elected in April 2025
• Also serves on the Standing Committee on Citizenship and Immigration
• Holds a bachelor's degree in political science from King's University College at the University of Western Ontario
• Worked a legal assistant
• Is one of the first Members of Parliament born in the 21st century

Removals

Minister – Key issues

Strengthening removals processes

We are taking decisive action to remove those who have no right to be here.

• CBSA removed over 22,500 inadmissible persons, the highest ever in the history of the Agency, thanks to $55.5 million in additional funding under the Border Plan
• Removing approx. 440 inadmissible persons each week, including those involved in extortion
• Over 550 CBSA personnel are focussed on immigration investigations and removals. CBSA also has a tip line – the Border Watch Line – for the public to report violation of immigration law

We are prioritizing serious inadmissibility and are focussed on managing the wanted inventory.

• While the Removal-in-Progress inventory grew by 50% (19,000 to 29,000) from 2021 to 2026 (reflecting the surge in asylum claims) the wanted inventory grew by 7% (31,000 to 33,000)
• As of March 20, 2026, approx. 29,700 individuals are in the removal in progress inventory to be processed for removal

Removing Foreign Nationals with a criminal record

We are taking a public‑safety‑first approach to removals.

• Approximately 500 foreign nationals with immigration warrants are currently serving sentences in correctional facilities, so there whereabouts are known
• They will be transferred into CBSA custody upon completion of their criminal detention for removal
• In 2025, CBSA removed approx. 1,180 individuals with serious inadmissibilities – which includes criminals, national security risks and those guilty of war crimes

Advancing CBSA recruitment

Increased recruitment is strengthening CBSA's operational capacity.

• Budget 2025 allocated $669 million over five years and $198.3 million ongoing to bolster CBSA operations
• With this investment, and funding under the Border Plan, the CBSA will hire 1,000 new officers

These investments are translating into immediate gains, with new recruits already joining the organization

• 28 Border Services Officers recruits graduated in February 2026 and 14 graduated in April 2026
• As of April 2, 2026, 68 new CBSA officers were hired, of the 1,000. This includes 42 Border Services Officers (including 3 fentanyl dogs), 20 Trade Officers, 4 Chemists and 2 Detection Technology Engineers
• 100 border services officers will be hired and 180 will be in training at the college in Rigaud by June 2026
• 500 new officers are expected to be in place by the end of this fiscal year. CBSA is on track to reach the 1,000 new officers target by the end of fiscal year 2028-2029

Minister – Questions and answers

Q1 – How many foreign nationals convicted of serious crimes are missing and unaccounted for? What are you doing to address this as quickly as possible?

• 33,000 individuals are in the wanted inventory that failed to appear for removal proceedings
  These include cases under review to determine if a warrant is required or cases where a warrant has been issued for the arrest, detention, and removal of foreign nationals
• 624 (2%) individuals have been convicted of serious crimes in Canada
  These individuals failed to appear for a scheduled proceeding but may have already left Canada on their own. The CBSA regularly reviews the wanted inventory and where individuals are confirmed to have left Canada on their own, the removal order is administratively enforced
• The CBSA undertakes a 100% review of all immigration warrants in an attempt to generate new leads and locate wanted individuals. Priority warrants (security, criminality, organized crime and international human rights violation cases) are reviewed at least once a year while non-priority warrants are reviewed at least once every three years. In addition, CBSA officers undertake proactive investigations in order to locate and arrest an individual subject to an immigration warrant

Q2 – A few months ago, CBSA told this committee that 32,000 individuals facing removal could not be located and were subject to warrants. How many of those cases have been resolved, and how many individuals remain at large today?

• 2000 cases resolved since January 2025
  Cases are resolved on an ongoing basis as individuals are located, removed or confirmed to have left Canada
  
• 33,000 individuals in the wanted inventory as of March 2026
  This inventory is not static and fluctuates as cases are resolved but remains relatively stable
• Wanted inventory increased by 7% (from 31,376 to 33,511) over the last five years (February 2021 to February 2026)
• Removal in Progress Inventory grew by 50% (from 19,000 to 29,000) over the last five years
• 79% increase in annual removals conducted over the last five years
• Non-compliance represents a relatively small and stable component of overall system pressure, and is to be expected when enforcement efforts are increased

Q3 – Recent reports indicated that nearly 600 foreign nationals with in-Canada criminal convictions and subject to removal orders are currently unaccounted for, with some evading enforcement for years. How does the government explain this, and what concrete measures are being taken to ensure removal orders are carried out effectively, transparently, and in a manner that safeguards public safety?

• About 600 individuals were identified in the summer of 2025 as subject to removal warrants
  CBSA continues to look for those subject to warrants and wanted individuals are located and removed every day
• Of these, around 50 are currently serving a criminal sentence
  The CBSA has issued a warrant to ensure they are transferred into CBSA custody upon completion of their criminal detention
• Around 100 warrants have been closed and 30 have been removed
  These individuals were located, arrested and are back in the removal process
• Around 50% of the 600 individuals in this group were involved in non-violent, more minor offenses
  While the CBSA prioritizes high risk cases involving criminality, a significant portion of the 599 identified in Summer 2025 are non-violent cases
• Approx. 550 CBSA personnel are dedicated to immigration investigations and removals
  They are focused on carrying out immigration investigations, locating wanted individuals and effecting their removal from Canada
• 22,500 inadmissible individuals, including 1,182 with serious inadmissibility
  The total number of enforced removals represents a historic high for the CBSA
• Approx. 440 individuals removed weekly
  Individuals move in and out of the removals inventory daily

Q4 – How did CBSA allow a backlog in removals to develop? Was there ever a period when removals were carried out without delay?

• The CBSA is mandated to remove as soon as possible any foreign nationals that is inadmissible to Canada and subject to an enforceable removal order
• The Removal in Progress inventory has grown by 51% over the last five years, driven by a higher number of asylum claims and longer processing times for refugees
• The CBSA allocates its available resources based on risk, including by prioritizing the removal of foreign criminals from Canada
• There has also been an increase in the proportion of complex cases (serious criminality, identity issues, litigation, non-cooperation and additional disclosure burdens)

Q5 – The government claims that adding 1,000 officers will address the removals backlog. How will these officers be deployed in practice, and what measurable impact will they have on speeding up removals?

• 1000 additional CBSA officers will be deployed
  Resources will be allocated based on risk, operational needs, and volumes, including inland enforcement and removals
• Around 400 additional removals expected in 2026-27
  Increased capacity is expected to improve throughput, while maintaining a risk-based approach to enforcement

Q6 – What is the current number of foreign nationals incarcerated in federal penitentiaries who will be subject to removal upon sentence completion?

• 505 individuals in criminal detention as of March 25, 2026, there are who are subject to an immigration warrant for removal
  These individuals are being monitored and are expected to be transferred to CBSA custody upon completion of their sentence for removal

Q7 – Is there active and effective communication between CSC and CBSA regarding these foreign nationals prior to sentence completion? What prevents CBSA from executing removals the moment those sentences end?

• Yes, the CBSA engages regularly with federal and provincial correctional partners to coordinate transfers of individuals who are subject to immigration warrants at the end of their sentence
• The CBSA initiates steps in the removal process at the same time the person is incarcerated
• Removals can only proceed once all legal avenues that may stay removal have been exhausted

Q8 - In 2023, the government shut down CBSA's "Wanted" webpage, removing a public tool for identifying and locating high‑risk individuals. Why was this tool eliminated, and will you commit to reinstating it?

• 159 profiles of wanted individuals were featured on the "wanted by CBSA" website from 2011 to 2018
• The tool generated limited results with the last tip received in 2014
• 15 individuals (less than 10%) were removed as a result of tips from the webpage
• Low effectiveness resulted in the webpage being phased out
• The CBSA has shifted to promoting the Border Watch Line and a secure online reporting form as more effective tools

Q9 – Throughout this study, we heard about effective approaches used by other countries. Why has Canada not integrated these lessons, and what concrete improvements have been adopted from international counterparts?

• The CBSA is always collaborating with international partners (e.g. Australia, New Zealand, UK and other European countries) to co-ordinate efforts and share best practices
• Many of them face the same challenges as Canada, for example securing travel documents and are working together to push countries recalcitrant on removal to issue travel documents
• Many European countries have adopted incentivized removal programs to manage migrations, with countries like Sweden offering substantial payments for voluntary return
• Successful practices in one country do not always translate to success in another
• A pilot program was launched by the CBSA for voluntary departures from 2012 to 2015 but have not proven effective in the Canadian context
• Current efforts focus on encouraging voluntary compliance through proactive communication and engagement with non-governmental organizations and community intermediaries

Q10 – International non‑cooperation is often cited as a barrier to removals. Why are countries allowed to obstruct Canada's immigration enforcement, and what measures—diplomatic, economic, or otherwise—are being used to force compliance?

• Removals require travel documents issued by countries of citizenship and non-cooperation can create delays
• The lack of diplomatic ties with a country or regime further prevents the CBSA from engaging with the necessary authorities responsible for issuing travel documents
• Since 2019, a whole of government approach has been used to raise the need for cooperation on removals with foreign partners. This resulted in improved cooperation for some countries
• For example, India has more than doubled its issuance of travel documents since September 2025, driven by sustained high-level engagements
• While the CBSA has seen a significant improvement in the number of travel documents issued by the Government of India, the same cannot be said of Bangladesh and Ethiopia
  • Both countries remain recalcitrant on removals
• The CBSA works with Global Affairs Canada and international partners, including through the Migration Five (M5) or Border Five (B5) networks to find solutions to the challenges posed by recalcitrant counties

Q11 – It has been acknowledged that IRPA's design permits some foreign nationals with criminal records to remain in Canada during prolonged assessments. Why has the government tolerated the exploitation of these legal loopholes, and what concrete steps are being taken to fix a system that appears to prioritize delay over removal?

• Criminal matters take precedence over immigration matters and removals cannot occur until charges are resolved and sentences served
• Removal processes are initiated in parallel where possible but enforcement depends on the exhaustion of all legal avenues including judicial review
• Protected persons cannot be removed where they face a risk to life or security unless a high threshold is met through a Danger Opinion assessment conducted by the IRCC
• Decisions involve balancing risk to the individual returning to their destination country against the danger they pose in Canada, require procedural fairness and are subject to review by the Federal Court

Q12 – Bill C‑12 is being presented as the solution to these longstanding problems. Which provisions will concretely change outcomes, and how will they prevent the continued delays and non‑removals we see today?

• 2 new eligibility requirements are now in effect and apply to all claims made on or after June 3, 2025
• Claims made more than one year after someone's first entry into Canada after June 24, 2020 will not be referred to the Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada (IRB)
• Asylum claims from people who enter Canada between ports of entry along the Canada–US land border and who make a claim after 14 days won't be referred to the IRB
• These new measures are intended to reduce pressure on the asylum system, close loopholes, and deter misuse
• CBSA received [Redacted] to implement the two new ineligibilities, including funding for security screening, immigration investigation, and removals to complete 30,000 PRRA initiations and 4,031 removals over the next three fiscal years

CBSA – Removals note

Unsuccessful claimants represent the great number of cases entering the enforcement continuum, and being processed for removal. The surge in recent years of asylum claims has directly impacted the of the overall growth of the three of the four Removals Inventories.

Between 2020 and 2025, the Removal in Progress inventory increased by 63%, Recent efforts to increase removals have resulted in the volume stabilizing since 2024, with less than 1% growth from 2024 to 2025, and a slight decrease so far in 2026 (29,817 as of March).

The Removal Not Possible inventory experienced a similar level of growth over the same time period increasing by 60%. Nearly half of the cases in this inventory are subject to legislated stays of removal, including Administrative Deferrals of Removal and Temporary Suspensions of Removal. As a result, overall inventory levels continue to experience pressure despite increased enforcement activity. significantly increased.

While the other inventories have grown, the Wanted Inventory, has remained relatively stable growing only 4% between 2020 and 2025. The low level of growth in the Wanted inventory, shows non-compliance represent a relatively small and stable component of overall system pressure.

The Canada Border Services Agency has been working in recent years to increase the number of removals completed in each year. The CBSA received 55.5 million dollars under the Border Plan to increase removals by 25 percent, from 16,000 to 20,000 in 2025-2026 and 2026-2027. In 2025, the CBSA removed 22,576 individuals (Data extracted on January 29th, 2026 and published on the website. As of April 2026, the total enforced removals in 2025 has exceeded 23,000).

Definitions

• Not Yet Actionable inventory includes individuals that fall outside of the enforcement stream including those pending refugee determination, a percentage of which will eventually enter Removals In Progress inventory, and convention refugees
• Removal Not Possible inventory includes individuals that cannot currently be removed, including those pending Federal Court appeals, criminal charges, or Pre-Removal Risk Assessments, or serving a sentence of imprisonment
• Wanted inventory includes individuals who failed to appear for removal proceedings and the CBSA is working to locate
• Removal In Progress inventory includes individuals who can be processed for removal; at this stage, CBSA works with the individual and foreign countries to overcome challenges to removal, including the issuance of travel documents

CBSA – Statistics

Removals by region

The CBSA collects removal data for all of Canada and organizes the data according to 7 regions.

Removals inventory by year

• The Removal in Progress inventory has grown by 51% over the last five years; due to efforts to increase removal volumes under the Border Plan, the inventory decreased by 5% from February 2025 to 2026
• Over five years, the Wanted inventory has fluctuated year to year, and has grown 7% overall; it grew by 2,135 cases since 2021, while during the same period, the CBSA removed over 75,800 inadmissible foreign nationals from Canada
• Of the total 27,560 individuals in the Removal Not Possible inventory, 14,071 are subject to ADR/TSR stay (see table 6)
• CBSA removal efforts may be hindered and delayed by impediments such as uncooperative foreign nationals who do not provide necessary information or documentation to allow for their removal, or foreign governments that refuse the return of their nationals, or fail to promptly issue timely travel documents. The CBSA works closely with foreign governments, Canadian officials abroad, and other departments to resolve these challenges, and participates in international forums to identify joint strategies and best practices to achieve timely removals of inadmissible persons

Definitions

• Not Yet Actionable inventory includes individuals that fall outside of the enforcement stream including those pending refugee determination, a percentage of which will eventually enter Removals In Progress inventory, and convention refugees
• Removal Not Possible inventory includes individuals that cannot currently be removed, including those pending Federal Court appeals, criminal charges, or Pre-Removal Risk Assessments, or serving a sentence of imprisonment
• Wanted inventory includes individuals who failed to appear for removal proceedings and the CBSA is working to locate
• Removal In Progress inventory includes individuals who can be processed for removal; at this stage, CBSA works with the individual and foreign countries to overcome challenges to removal, including the issuance of travel documents

Removals inventory by month

• The Removal in Progress inventory has remained relatively stable, fluctuating by up to 5% per month and decreasing overall by 5% over the last 12 months due to increased efforts on removals since December 2024
• The CBSA prioritizes removals based on a risk management regime that assigns the highest priority to cases involving security, organized crime, crimes against humanity, and criminality. These are followed by failed refugee claimants as second tier, and all other inadmissible persons as the lowest priority
• In 2025, the CBSA removed an average of 443 individuals per week, including administrative removals, while over 600 new cases entered the inventory per week

Removals caseload with serious inadmissibility by year

• Since 2024, the total number of cases involving a serious inadmissibility has increased by 9.4% for the Wanted inventory, although the rate of serious inadmissibilities has remained steady at 3% of the Wanted caseload
• The number of serious inadmissibility cases increased by 23% for Removal in Progress inventory, but the rate dropped from 6.0% to 5.6%
• The overall rate of serious inadmissibilities within the entire removal inventory has slightly decreased from 1.7% in 2024 to 1.2% in 2026
• Serious inadmissibilities include:
  • s. 34 – national security; terrorism; espionage
  • s. 35 – human and international rights violations
  • s. 36 – criminality, including in-Canada or outside-Canada serious and non-serious criminality
  • s. 37 – organised crime

Removals inventory with serious inadmissibility by month

• About 3% of the Wanted inventory cases involved a serious inadmissibility consistently over the last 12 months
• For the Removal in Progress, the percentage of cases involving a serious inadmissibility has slowly risen over the past year, reaching 12.2% in February 2026
• Foreign nationals still serving a criminal sentence or with pending criminal charges cannot be removed until the criminal matters are resolved. These cases are subject to a legislated stay of removal and are found in the Removal Not Possible inventory, leading to its significantly higher proportion of cases with criminality. CBSA may issue a warrant for arrest to ensure that CBSA is notified following the completion of their criminal custody

[Redacted]

[Redacted]

*[Redacted]

• [Redacted]

[Redacted]

• [Redacted]
• [Redacted]
• [Redacted]
• [Redacted]
• [Redacted]
• [Redacted]
• [Redacted]
• [Redacted]

Administrative deferrals of removal and temporary suspensions of removal

• An Administrative Deferral of Removal is a temporary measure imposed by the CBSA to defer removals when country conditions exist that could seriously endanger the lives or safety of the entire civilian population. It is not meant to address persistent and systemic human rights problems which constitute individual risk. CBSA monitors global events and provides assessments and recommendations to the delegated decision maker, the Director General of Inland Enforcement, on where and when, to impose or lift ADRs
  • There is currently an active ADR in place for certain regions in Somalia (Middle Shabelle, Afgoye, and Mogadishu), the Gaza Strip, Ukraine, Syria, Mali, the Central African Republic, South Sudan, Libya, Yemen, Venezuela, Haiti, Iran, Sudan, Israel, and Lebanon
• A Temporary suspension of Removals is imposed by the Minister of Public Safety and interrupts removals to a country, when country conditions exist that could seriously endanger the lives or safety of the entire civilian population. It is not meant to address persistent and systemic human rights problems which constitute individual risk
  • There are active TSR for in place for Afghanistan, the Democratic Republic of Congo, and Iraq
• Individuals who benefit from an ADR or a TSR are located in the Removal Not Possible inventory. Individuals who have failed to comply with a reporting condition may be captured in the wanted inventory until they are located. Individuals inadmissible for safety or security concerns do not benefit from the ADR or TSR and will be located in the removal in progress inventory or wanted inventory depending on the specific details of their case
• Individuals with serious inadmissibility such as national security and criminality do not benefit from a stay of removals under these provisions
• There are just over 14,000 ADR/TSR cases in the inventory, 98% of which are for the top ten countries

Removals enforced

• In 2025, CBSA removed over 23,000 inadmissible foreign nationals, of which 1,181 (or 5%) involved a serious inadmissibility
• The Border Plan provided $55.5 million to support immigration and asylum processing and to increase CBSA's capacity to reach 20,000 removals for fiscal years 2025-2026 and 2026-2027
• The CBSA is on pace to exceed the target for fiscal years 2025-2026

• The 23,047 removals completed in 2025 are higher than any of the past five years
• Of these, approximately 5% involved a serious inadmissibility

Escorted removals

• CBSA officers assess the risk of each case being removed and, for higher risk cases, recommend that escort officers accompany the foreign national to their destination to ensure the safety and security of the public, aircraft, and the foreign national themselves. Escort officers may also be deemed necessary by the airline, or to accompany a medical professional for foreign nationals with complex medical needs
• In 2025, CBSA conducted over 1,600 escorted removals, representing approximately 7% of the total removals, and the highest volume in six years
• On average, an unescorted removal costs $3,700, while an escorted removal costs around $12,500. In fiscal year 2024–25, the CBSA spent over $17.5 million on removal-related travel costs

• The U.S. accounted for 55% of the total escorts in 2025; over 90% of these occurred at land POEs
• The top ten destination countries account for approximately 80% of total escorted removals

Iranian Regime

On November 12, 2022, the Minister of Public Safety first designated the Iranian regime under paragraph 35(1)(b) of the IRPA from November 15, 2019 onwards. In September 2024, the Minister of Public Safety amended the start date of the designation from November 15, 2029 to June 23, 2003. The designation makes any foreign national or permanent resident who were or are prescribed senior officials in the regime inadmissible to Canada.

As of March 5, 2026, under the designation of the Iranian regime:

• Approximately 17,800 applications were reviewed for potential inadmissibility
• 239 visas have been cancelled by IRCC
• 174 investigations have been opened by the CBSA
  • Additional investigations will be opened as new information becomes available
• 79 investigations have been concluded by the CBSA, meaning the individuals in question were either not in Canada, or determined not to be a senior official in the Iranian regime and not inadmissible for this reason
  • The remaining cases are subject to ongoing investigations or enforcement action
• 32 persons have been reported inadmissible by the CBSA for being a senior official in the Iranian regime
• 23 cases involving individuals in Canada have been or will be sent to the Immigration Division (ID) of the IRB for an admissibility hearing
  • [Redacted] referrals were withdrawn by the CBSA before the case proceeded any further - A case may be withdrawn for several reasons, including the foreign national departing Canada prior to a scheduled hearing
• The CBSA has requested the scheduling of 17 of these cases, while the rest continue to undergo preparations prior to being sent for scheduling. Of these:
  • 8 admissibility hearings have been concluded, resulting in decisions by the ID:
    • [Redacted] individuals were found inadmissible for being prescribed senior officials and issued deportation orders; [Redacted] has been removed from Canada
    • [Redacted] individuals were found not inadmissible by the ID; CBSA filed appeals to the Immigration Appeal Division (IAD) in [Redacted] cases
    • The CBSA has filed an application for leave and judicial review for the [Redacted] appeals that were dismissed by the IAD
  • CBSA subsequently withdrew [Redacted] case
  • 8 cases are ongoing

Extortion

CBSA – Financials

• $78.3 million spent on Removals in fiscal year 2024-2025 to achieve 18,126 removals
• Nearly 63% of the total expenditure was for Salary ($49.6 million), and another 27% was spent on Operations & Maintenance (O&M)
• The remaining 10%, (i.e. Other category), is comprised primarily of contributions to employee benefit plans ($7.4 million) (i.e. corporate requirements), and funding for items such as parental and maternity leave, and entitlements upon cessation of service ($340,000)
• Regional operations accounted for over 80% of the total budget for conducting removals—86% of the total salary, and 98% of the total O&M
• Operational expenses include the salary costs required for removal interviews and arrangements, and O&M costs such as travel expenses for officers and the individuals being removed
• $3,700 is the average cost of an unescorted removal and $12,500 for an escorted removal costs
• An escorted removal is required primarily when an individual poses a public safety risk, is considered a significant flight risk, or if it is a requirement imposed by the airline or a transit country
• Individuals being removed from Canada are required to pay for their own travel costs. In situations where the inadmissible person is unable or unwilling to pay, the CBSA covers the cost to ensure that they are removed in a timely manner. Costs are recovered by the Government of Canada when an individual who was removed at the government's expense seeks to return to Canada. Under the new cost recovery framework (effective April 2025), the fees have been adjusted from approximately $1,500 previously to just over $12,800 for escorted removals and just over $3,800 for unescorted removals, regardless of destination. This change established a cost recovery framework that is more in line with the current costs of removals and encourages voluntary compliance with removal orders
• Approximately $6 million was spent within IEB in NHQ for stakeholder engagement activities (i.e., securing travel documents for removal), program and operational guidance to the field, performance management and reporting, and corporate support costs. An additional $1 million was allocated to enabling branches ($800,000 for SPB and $200,000 for ISTB)

• Over $18.1 million spent in fiscal year 2024-2025 (87% of the total O&M expenditure) was spent on travel. This includes travel costs for escort officers (approximately $10 million), such as airline tickets and accommodation
• An additional $7.5 million was spent on airline tickets and associated travel expenses for individuals being removed who are unable or unwilling to pay the costs (Travel Expense for Individuals Being Removed in the table below); this can also include accommodations, food, clothing, onward transportation in the destination country, subsistence funding, and incidental costs
• In fiscal year 2024-2025, the CBSA completed 18,126 removals, including 718 escorted removals
• $612,000 spent on various professional services including building protection, $545,000 on translation and interpretation, and $360,000 on health and welfare for services such as nurse escorts and medical assessments for individuals removed from Canada
• The Other O&M category includes small amounts (under $300,000) for items such as purchasing of equipment, supplies and hardware/software; training; postage; and IT and maintenance services

Expenditure Trends

• 55% increase in removals expenditures and 141% increase in removals volume from fiscal year 2021-2022 to fiscal year 2024-2025
• In past years, the removal budget has been bolstered through additional funding sources supporting government priories, primarily Asylum and Irregular Migration funding for additional removals resulting from increased asylum claim processing
• Pay rate increases partially contributed to increased costs (FB3 salary increased by nearly 16% from June 2021 to June 2025)
• The Other category includes contributions to employee benefit plans (over 95%) and funding for items such as parental and maternity leave and entitlements upon cessation of service (less than 5%)

Minister – Additional materials

CBSA statistics

Facts and Figures

• 2025-26 Budget 2,993 million
• 17,000 employees
• 8,500 front line
• 1,200 POEs / 36 countries
• 117 land-border, 61 are 24/7
• 13 airports, 10 are 24/7
• 27 rail sites
• 3 Ports Hali, Montréal, Van

1,000 Officers

• By June, CBSA will have hired approx. 100 officers and will have 180 in training at the college in Rigaud
• 42 border services officers recruits have graduated so far, including 3 fent dogs on April 2
• 20 hired to support trade compliance
• 6 hired in science & technology
• Av. annual attrition (5yrs) 364
• College throughput 720

FES Time-limited/not part of 1000

• Removals backlog: 30
• Trade/steel: 14

Border Plan

• Large Scale Imaging
  • Fiscal year 2025/26: 6
  • Fiscal year 2026/27: 8
  • Fiscal year 2027/28: 5
• Dog teams: 6

Removals

• 2025 over 22,000
• 2024 over 17,000

Inventories (as of February, 2026)

• Removal not possible ~27,000
• Wanted ~33,000
• Removal in progress ~29,000
• Cannot remove to country ~11,000

Examples of inadmissibility types:

• Security grounds
• Human/International rights violation
• Criminality
• Organized crime
• Misrepresentation
• Non-compliance

Extortion

• Over 370 open investigations
• 35 removed

Iranian Regime Members

• Nov 2022 designated Iran regime from Nov 15, 2019 onwards
• Sept 2024 amended start date of designation to June 23, 2003.
• Since then:
  • 174 CBSA investigations opened
  • 32 reported inadmissible
  • 23 sent to Immigration Review Board
  • 3 deportation orders
  • 1 removed

Security Screening

• Inventory is ~185,000 (increase compared to 3yrs ago)
• av. processing time from 61 to 291 days over last 3 yrs

Recent Administrative Deferral of Removals (ADR)

• UAE, Kuwait, Bharain, Qatar, Lebanon, Israel

Enforcement in 2025

• 82.3 million Travellers
• 30.7 million releasees of goods
• 149 million courier shipments
• Commercial by the numbers:
  • Highway: 5 million trucks
  • Air: 3.8 million shipments
  • Marine: 2 million containers
  • Rail: 1.8 million cars

Over 52,000 seizures including over:

• 830 firearms/17,000 weapons
• 90 child porn. seizures
• 31,000 illegal drugs seizures:
  • Cocaine: 4,700 kilos
  • Heroin: 128 kilos
  • Fentanyl: 2.8 kilos
  • Meth: 2,300 kilos
  • Other opioids: 1,000 kilos
  • Other drugs, narcotics and chemicals: 28,000 kilos
  • Cannabis 46,600 kilos
  • Tobacco 803,000 kilos

Recent large seizure: $1.7 million of cocaine at Pearson

Stolen Vehicles

• 2024: 2,277
• 2025: 1,590

Recent collab w/ Peel Police:

• Project Stratis $800,000 of vehicles

urrency Seizures

• 2025: over 38 million
  • Suspected Proceeds of crime 3.8 million
• 2024: over 33 million
  • Suspected Proceeds of crime 5.4 million

Asylum

Purpose: to address recent media articles published on April 7 and April 8 raising concerns with the Immigration and Refugee Board's file review process and what rigor and scrutiny claimants face.

Q1- What does the CBSA assess when a claimant arrives to makes a claim?

• The CBSA assesses identity, admissibility and eligibility of the asylum claimant
• Officers verify identity, review biometrics and criminality checks and conduct an in-person interview
• Officers must be satisfied the individual is not inadmissible on grounds such as national security, serious or organized criminality and human or international rights violations
• Officers also determine whether the claim is eligible for referral to the Immigration and Refugee Board (IRB)
• The CBSA does not assess the merits of the claimant's fear of persecution

Q2- Why does the CBSA not assess the credibility of asylum claimants?

• The IRB is solely responsible for determining the merits of asylum claims, including credibility
• This separation of roles is established in legislation

Q3- Does the CBSA do any other security checks asylum claimants?

• The CBSA is responsible for security screening asylum claimants
• A comprehensive security screening is conducted for all adult claimants, in partnership with intelligence partners
• Screening assesses inadmissibility on grounds such as national security, human or international rights violations and serious or organized criminality

Q4- What if credibility concerns are identified?

• Credibility of a claim is assessed exclusively by the IRB.
• When credibility concerns are identified before a hearing, the case is referred to IRCC, who is responsible for credibility interventions
• If there are credibility concerns identified, in addition to public safety or security concerns, the CBSA will include such concerns and intervene in the refugee claim

Q5- What happens if CBSA identifies security or integrity concerns in an asylum claim

• The CBSA is responsible for intervening on public safety and security concerns, as well as for admissibility hearings before the Immigration Division
• When security or admissibility concerns are identified, evidence is assessed to determine whether to proceed with an admissibility hearing before the Immigration Division or to intervene at the Refugee Protection Division
• If an admissibility hearing is held, the asylum claim is suspended until a decision on the inadmissibility allegation is made
• In both instances, CBSA presents the evidence, questions witnesses, and makes submissions on inadmissibility from refugee protection

Q6- What is triage and what happens if security, admissibility, or integrity concerns are identified in cases accepted through triage?

• Triage is the review of a claimant's file to identify any factors in a claim requiring follow‑up, review, or intervention
• Files are reviewed for a variety of triggers, including identity, admissibility, eligibility, exclusion, credibility, and program integrity
• The CBSA and IRCC collaborate on triaging claims
• If it is discovered that an asylum claimant provided false information to the IRB to obtain refugee status in Canada (i.e., material misrepresentation), the CBSA may apply to the IRB to revoke refugee protection
• If refugee protection is vacated, the CBSA issues a removal order and starts the removal process

Q7- Will Bill C-12 change this process?

• Bill C-12 introduces changes to improve and modernize the asylum system
• One of the improvements is the introduction of Minister's Due Diligence which provides the CBSA and IRCC the opportunity to conduct screening, triage, review, and intervention activities before a claim is referred to the IRB
• Departmental roles remain unchanged but the timing of statutory responsibilities is clarified to ensure claims are schedule-ready once referred to the IRB
• Where public safety or security concerns are identified, cases are referred to the CBSA to assess whether intervention is warranted

Q8- What is OneTouch and what did it change?

• The One Touch Refugee Processing Model was implemented nationally April 2024. It is used by CBSA officers to process low-risk refugee claims
• All refugee claimants undergo a mandatory initial assessment, which includes an in-person examination and risk assessment to determine the appropriate processing method to continue with (One Touch, full case processing, ineligible case processing). This assessment involves the collection and review of mandatory screening information, including screening questions, biometrics, criminality checks, and an officer interview
• By introducing One Touch, the agency was able to expedite the processing of low-risk claims in order to focus time and resources on high-risk claims through full case processing. Prior to the implementation of One Touch, all cases were completed through full case processing. This included the administrative collection of certain background information from the claimant, such as address and education history
• With the implementation of One Touch, low-risk claimants are now responsible for completing the administrative portion of their claim within 45 days using the Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) Portal. However, any claims identified as high-risk or high needs are processed using the traditional full case processing model
• The CBSA's role in the refugee process is to assess identity, admissibility, and eligibility. Any concerns related to the credibility or reliability of documents or statements are documented by the interviewing officer, added to the claimant's file, and flagged for possible intervention
• If new information comes to light during processing, the officer can redetermine the eligibility to be referred to the Immigration and Refugee Board (IRB) or flag it for possible intervention to the IRB for credibility. However, the assessment of the merits of the refugee claim—including credibility determinations—falls under the responsibility of the IRB.

Background on the C.D Report on the IRB's File Review Policy

• On January 29, the C.D. Howe Institute published a report titled Accepting Asylum Claims Without a Hearing: A Critique of IRB's "File Review" Policy. It was authored by James Yousif, a lawyer who is a former Director of Policy at IRCC and former member of the IRB
• The report argues that the IRB's file review policy allowing asylum claims to be accepted without an oral hearing undermines core safeguards of Canada's asylum system
• It states the policy has not reduced backlogs and raises significant legal, security, and system‑integrity concerns and recommends ending the practice and restoring oral hearings as the standard for adjudicating asylum claims
• Mr. Yousif appeared as a witness before CIMM on February 23, as part of the committee's study on Canada's Immigration System
• Following his testimony, CIMM examined the issue further:
  • The IRB Chairperson addressed the file review process directly
  • IRCC and CBSA officials spoke to broader system processes
  • The Minister of Citizenship and Immigration was questioned on file review during her appearance at CIMM for their study on immigration levels
• At the March 25 CIMM meeting, debate on a Conservative motion referencing IRB's File Review Process led to the meeting being suspended. No vote or decision was taken prior to suspension as debate on the motion was not completed
• Conservative members have called for the IRB's file review process to be discontinued and for oral hearing be reinstated as the standard approach to asylum adjudication, citing system integrity and security concerns
• The issue has received recent media attention, including two articles published by The Globe and Mail echoing similar concerns raised in the C.D. Howe Institute report

Vehicle Identification Number (VIN)

Q1 – How does the CBSA collect VIN data? What issues has the Agency identified?

• The CBSA collects VIN data at the border as part of its export declaration process
• VINs are self-reported by exporters at the border
• Internal verifications have shown some VINs are reused or fabricated to clone or mask stolen vehicles

Q2 – Why does the CBSA have an arrangement with CARFAX and Équité Association?

• Under the National Action Plan on Combatting Auto Theft, the CBSA moved forward with establishing an information sharing process with CARFAX and Équité, a Canadian not for profit
• They work directly with law enforcement to recover stolen vehicles and provide expert testimony, ensuring data is used for recovery

Q3 – Is CBSA data being sold to car dealerships?

• The majority of car dealerships were already paying for and using comprehensive vehicle reports in their daily operations before the Agency began sharing information. VIN information did not increase those fees

Q4 - Why can't you make the VIN data public for all to access on the web?

• VIN data is customs information and the Customs Act has rules on how information can be shared
• The CBSA can only share this info if there is a major public benefit that is more important than an individual's privacy
• VIN data cannot be made accessible to the public on the web because it is not fully verified, and releasing it could be harmful to the public. For example, it could result in the loss of insurance coverage, difficulty in registering a vehicle, or facilitate VIN fraud by bad actors
• The CBSA only shares this data with specific groups like CARFAX Canada and Équité Association. This helps stop car theft while still keeping Canadians' personal information safe