Four Canadian ministers on Tuesday publicly unveiled a border security plan they had privately presented to the incoming administration of U.S. President-elect Donald Trump, emphasizing surveillance, intelligence and technology. Was.
Dominic LeBlanc, Minister of Public Safety, Finance and Intergovernmental Affairs, told reporters that Canadian ministers had an “encouraging” meeting with Trump’s border governor Tom Homan.
“I read the information with Mr. Homan that we’re sharing with you today… I’m encouraged by that conversation and the conversation I had with the incoming Commerce Secretary, Howard Lutnick,” LeBlanc said.
LeBlanc and his allies on Tuesday announced plans to reinforce the U.S.-Canada border with helicopters, drones, surveillance towers and sniffer dogs, as well as a “Joint Strike Force” to target international organized crime.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s embattled minority government says it will invest C$1.3 billion ($909 million) over six years in border security. The plan focuses on fentanyl, irregular migration and organized crime.
Canada is under pressure to strengthen its border with the United States after Trump threatened to impose 25 per cent tariffs on Canada and Mexico if they do not curb the flow of migrants and drugs into the United States.
US authorities apprehended more than 23,000 people near the US-Canada border in the 12 months ending in October, more than double the previous year, but a fraction of the 1.5 million people apprehended near the US-Mexico border during that period. A small part.
Canadian police say they have installed more cameras and sensors on the most heavily crossed part of the border over the past four years.
Yet they admit there is little they can do to stop those moving south.
The flurry of attention on the US-Canada border is as much about perception as reality, experts told Reuters.
He said a more effective form of restriction might be to prevent people from coming to Canada in the first place.
As Reuters reports, Canada is already trying this – granting fewer visas and turning away visa holders.
Canada is also planning to amend its immigration law to allow authorities to “cancel, suspend or alter immigration documents for reasons deemed to be in the public interest.”
“This could happen, for example, in cases of large-scale fraud,” Immigration Minister Mark Miller said Tuesday.
Miller said Canada will also “introduce measures to streamline the asylum system to quickly deal with illegitimate claims.” He has indicated fast-tracking of refugee claims.
Miller also announced an end to the practice of “flagpolling”, in which temporary residents leave the country only to come back and renew their status.
While the focus is on migrants heading south from Canada, Canada is preparing for a reverse influx as people flee Trump’s threat of mass deportation.
Miller said, “For anyone who is considering entering Canada illegally as we enter the coldest winter months, we want to make it clear that entry into Canada between our official ports of entry It’s dangerous to try.”
Trudeau’s government plunged into crisis on Monday when his finance minister and Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland resigned. Trudeau, who is lagging in the elections, is facing demands for resignation from within his own party.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)
