Cory Morgan: Canada Must Act at Once to Fix Immigration, Border Security and Avoid US Tariffs

Commentary

President-elect Donald Trump focused attention on Canada’s porous border with the United States by threatening to impose 25 percent tariffs on Canadian goods if the border isn’t controlled. While not as many immigrants and drugs cross from Canada to the USA compared to the Mexican border, the United States still has valid concerns with its northern neighbor. The most troubling export from Canada to the USA is terror suspects.

Last year, 410 suspected terrorists were caught at land crossings attempting to enter the United States. Of those, 87 percent came from Canada. With the Canada-USA border being the longest international border in the world at 8,891 kilometers, controlling outward migration in unauthorized crossings is logistically challenging for Canada. To address the flow of terror suspects into the USA, Canada must first control immigration within its borders. However, this task is monumental due to Canada’s overwhelmed immigration system.

The federal government acknowledged making mistakes with immigration and is planning to reduce the influx of newcomers into Canada. While reducing incoming people is necessary, it won’t solve the problems caused by years of mass immigration.

Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) currently has a backlog of 1.1 million applications and the backlog is increasing. Simply increasing IRCC’s budget or staff won’t solve this issue. Despite doubling its staff from 5,342 employees in 2013 to 12,949 in 2023, the department remains slow and inefficient. A comprehensive reform of the entire department is urgently needed.

The processing time for refugee applications by IRCC is alarming with projected wait times of 24 months. If an application is rejected, the average appeal time is 12 months. These delays are unacceptable and unsustainable. Additionally, individuals who manage to enter Canada inappropriately and apply for refugee status can exploit the system for three years before a deportation decision is made.