Safety and Security

Ensuring compliance through border control

The Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) is committed to providing a smarter, more secure and efficient border. To achieve this goal, the CBSA relies on technology, information sharing, risk analysis and biometrics.

The CBSA is vigilant in its enforcement of the legislation that it administers. To ensure the free flow of legitimate people and goods, the CBSA monitors, investigates, detains and removes those people or goods in violation of the relevant laws.

Trade Security

With almost $2 billion daily in cross-border trade with the United States, keeping the trade system open is critical to ensuring Canada's economic prosperity. It is equally critical to protect the border against potential threats to our health, security and economy.

Advance information and information-sharing programs

• Container Security Initiative (marine)
  Designed to safeguard global marine trade.
  
• Advance Commercial Information (marine and air)
  Getting the right information at the right time to detect potential risks arriving by marine and air cargo to Canada.
  
• eManifest (highway and rail)
  Getting the right information at the right time to detect potential risks arriving by highway and rail cargo to Canada.
  

Technology

• Radiation Detection Equipment
  Using state-of-the-art technology to reduce the risk of dangerous and illicit materials being smuggled into Canada.
• Gamma-ray Equipment
  Using gamma-ray technology to detect contraband, weapons and other dangerous goods in marine containers, rail cars or trucks.
• Other technology
  Using state-of-the-art technology to detect contraband and dangerous goods.

Importation Regulations and Requirements

• Prohibited or Restricted Goods
  Items that are not allowed into Canada or that require a permit.
• Wood Packaging
  Implementing international wood-packaging standard.
• Anti-dumping and Countervailing
  Protecting Canadian producers against unfair foreign competition in the Canadian market place.
• Administrative Monetary Penalty System
  AMPS is a civil penalty imposed on companies who do not comply with regulations.
• Food, Plant and Animal Inspections
  Travellers and commercial importers are required to properly declare any meats, fruits, vegetables, plants, animals and plant or animal products they bring into the country.

Programs, Initiatives and Partnerships

• Marine Trade Security
  Through various activities, the CBSA strives to foster partnerships to keep Canada safe.
• Partners in Protection
  This program enlists industry partners to share the responsibility of securing the supply chain.

Managing Access to Canada

The government has a duty to protect the safety of all Canadians. Working at home and abroad, the CBSA is constantly finding new ways to increase security at our borders, while facilitating the flow of legitimate travellers in and out of Canada.

• Intelligence and Risk Management
• Advance Information
• Screening, Technology and Admissibility
• Arrests and Detentions
• Immigration Violations
• Security Certificates

Intelligence and Risk Management

By working "smarter" and building a more secure border, the CBSA is helping Canada achieve greater prosperity and security. Our focus is on getting the right information at the right time, so that we know when, where, and how to target our enforcement efforts.

• National Targeting Centre
  An around-the-clock intelligence operation that collects, analyzes and shares information to detect and prevent the movement of high-risk people and goods into the country.
• Immigration Intelligence Network
  A network of intelligence experts at home and abroad, who plan, collect, analyze and disseminate information regarding threats to Canada's immigration, visitor, refugee and citizenship programs.
• Migration Integrity Officers (MIO)
  MIOs are located around the world and work actively with international partners to stop human trafficking and smuggling.

Advance Information

• Advance Passenger Information / Passenger Name Record (API/PNR)
  API/PNR helps the CBSA to identify known terrorists and other criminals before they reach our borders.

Screening, Technology and Admissibility

• Border science and engineering
  The CBSA uses innovative science, engineering, and technology to effectively manage its borders. The Science and Engineering Directorate of the Technology Branch, a unique organization within the CBSA, performs much of this work.
• Admissibility
  Explains why some people cannot enter or remain in Canada.
• Contraband Detection
  The CBSA uses a variety of technologies and initiatives to detect contraband and prohibited or restricted goods.
• Detector Dog Services
  Detector dog teams help protect Canada's health and safety by detecting narcotics, firearms, currency and agriculture products.
• Security Screening
  The CBSA screens immigrants, refugees and visitors to prevent inadmissible persons from entering or remaining in Canada.
• Canada's War Crimes Program
  Ensures that war criminals and those responsible for crimes against humanity are not permitted to enter or stay in Canada.
  
• Cross-border Currency Reporting
  Requires individuals to report if they are entering or leaving Canada and are carrying $10,000 or more.
• Food, Plant and Animal Inspections
  Travellers and commercial importers are required to properly declare any meats, fruits, vegetables, plants, animals and plant or animal products they bring into the country.
• Our Missing Children
  CBSA officers are on alert for abducted or missing children at all service locations.

Arrests and Detention

• Arrests and Detentions
  Ensure that CBSA officers can protect the safety of Canadians by permitting them to arrest and detain non-Canadians who:
  • will not appear for immigration proceedings such as an examination or an admissibility hearing, or for removal from Canada; or
  • poses a risk to the public because of past crimes, a history of physical violence, etc.; or
  • they are not satisfied of the identity of a foreign national

Immigration Violations

The CBSA investigates immigration violations and removes persons who do not have a right to enter or stay in Canada. The ability to remove people is vital to the integrity of the immigration system, and to those who come to this country lawfully.

• Immigration Investigations
  Investigations are conducted in cases of a possible breach of the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act (IRPA).
• Admissibility Hearings
  When a complicated breach of IRPA is alleged, the Immigration Division of the Immigration and Refugee Board (IRB) conducts an admissibility hearing to determine whether or not the individual is admissible, and can enter or stay in Canada. If the individual is inadmissible, he or she is required to leave Canada.
• Pre-removal Risk Assessment
  Before an individual is removed from Canada under a removal order, he or she can apply to the Minister of Citizenship and Immigration for a pre-removal risk assessment (PRRA), which determines if the person would be at risk (i.e., torture, cruel and unusual punishment) if returned to his or her country of nationality.
• Removals
  The CBSA is committed to enforcing removal orders against those individuals who are inadmissible to Canada. Our priorities are:
  • serious criminals and those who pose threats to national security;
  • those who engage in criminality;
  • failed refugee claimants; and
  • other people who do not comply with the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act.
• Appealing a Removal Order
  Outlines who can and cannot appeal a removal order.

Security Certificates

The security certificate, an exceptional measure that applies only to non-Canadians, is one of the most effective tools the CBSA has to protect Canadians against those who pose a risk to national security or to the safety of Canadians.

• Security Certificates (Public Safety Canada)
  Information on the effects and process involved with security certificates.

Working Together

Canada takes a proactive role in establishing and maintaining strong working relationships with other governments, organizations and communities to foster an open dialogue for information sharing and risk management.

In the Community

• Border Watch
  Reporting of suspicious cross-border activity.
• Partners in Protection
  Designed to enlist the cooperation of private industry in efforts to enhance border security, combat organized crime and terrorism, increase awareness of customs-compliance issues, and help detect and prevent contraband smuggling.

National Initiatives

• Integrated National Security Enforcement Teams (RCMP)
  An integrated, interdepartmental counter-terrorism group whose aim is to help ensure early detection and prevention of any potential threats to national security.
• Immigration Task Force (RCMP)
  An interdepartmental partnership to locate and apprehend high-risk fugitives.

Canada/U.S. Initiatives

• United States – Canada: Joint Border Threat and Risk Assessment
  Prepared by the U.S. Customs and Border Protection, the Canada Border Services Agency and the Royal Canadian Mounted Police in support of the mandates of each respective agency.
• Integrated Border Enforcement Teams (IBETs)
  IBETs is a Canada/U.S. initiative that combines the intelligence and law enforcement expertise of various agencies.
• Canada/U.S. Safe Third Country Agreement
  This agreement was a key deliverable under the Canada-U.S. Smart Border Action Plan.

Additional Resources

• Immigration and Refugee Board (IRB)
  As an independent administrative tribunal, the IRB makes decisions on immigration and refugee matters.