Ports of entry are the ‘Achilles heel’ of border security: analyst

Keith Cozine, a border security analyst, says the move is ‘in the right direction,’ but more works needs to be done.

The federal government plans to hire 1,000 new Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) officers across the country, according to a statement released Friday by Prime Minister Mark Carney’s office.

“These new officers will help crack down on the movement of stolen goods, illegal guns and drugs, enforce import measures, and investigate unfair trade practices,” the statement read.

The Liberal government is also raising the CBSA’s recruitment stipend for the first time since 2005, from $125 to $525 per week, the statement said.

Keith Cozine, a border security analyst at St. John’s University, told CTV News Channel on Saturday that this “significant increase” is a move in the right direction, but there is still a long way to go.

Cozine added that the CBSA currently has about 8,500 frontline employees, meaning the new hires would represent more than a 10 per cent increase.

“The one thing I like about it is that it’s focusing on the ports of entry. From a U.S. perspective, I’ve always viewed the Achilles heel when it comes to border security in Canada being the ports of entry. More specifically, the airports of entry,” he said.

“That’s where the individuals who are entering into Canada eventually end up crossing the border into the U.S., and some of those have posed security threats to the U.S.”

This revision will be included in next month’s federal budget, with an estimated $617 million in funding over the next five years, Public Safety Minister Gary Anandasangaree said during a press conference Friday.

The plan also includes proposed amendments to the Public Service Superannuation Act to create stronger support for recruitment and retirement options for employees after 25 years of service, without any age restrictions or pension reductions, the statement said.

“It would apply to frontline federal workers, including border services officers, parliamentary protection officers, search and rescue personnel, and both federal and territorial firefighters, paramedics, and correctional officers,” it read.

Cozine added that because Canada does not have a border patrol agency like the U.S., it relies on the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) and provincial law enforcement officers.

“Organized crime and transnational organized crime have a long history of adapting and innovating to overcome the security measures that we put in place to try and stop them,” he said.

Meanwhile, there has been a “greater push” toward co-operation between the two countries on border security in recent times, Cozine said, noting that the August meeting between U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi and Justice Minister Sean Fraser was termed “productive.”

“Earlier this month, we introduced a bill into the House of Representatives that authorized the U.S. Secretary of Homeland Security to amend and negotiate existing agreements between the U.S. and Canada that allow for cross-border co-operation,” he said.

However, the federal government is still moving forward with a separate bill that would grant authorities access to personal information, a measure that has faced substantial criticism.

With files from CTV News’ Nick Moore and the Canadian Press