Canada's immigration system has become so overwhelmed that security screenings for refugee claimants are now being conducted primarily through an honour system, according to startling testimony presented to Parliament this week.
Border Union President Reveals Systemic Changes
Mark Weber, president of the Customs and Immigration Union, told the House of Commons Standing Committee on Citizenship and Immigration that border guards are no longer able to conduct proper security screenings due to staffing shortages and overwhelming numbers. "To speed things up, because we are short-staffed, we are allowing people into the country without first doing security screening," Weber revealed during Tuesday's committee meeting.
The new process requires foreign nationals arriving at Canadian border posts and claiming refugee status to complete a security questionnaire through a smartphone application. After simply clicking through the digital form, claimants are cleared to enter Canada and begin receiving benefits associated with refugee status.
Benefits and Costs to Canadian Taxpayers
Once admitted through this streamlined process, refugee claimants gain access to numerous benefits including free healthcare, public schooling for children, and work permits. Some claimants even receive taxpayer-funded accommodations.
Data from the federal government's Interim Housing Assistance Program released in 2024 showed that some refugee claimants were receiving comprehensive support including meals and hotel rooms costing taxpayers approximately $224 per claimant daily.
Due to massive processing backlogs within Canada's immigration system, even individuals making false refugee claims can expect to maintain protected status in Canada for up to two years before their case receives proper review by immigration authorities.
Security Concerns and Reliance on Self-Declaration
Weber expressed significant concern about the security implications of the current system, noting that border guards have largely been reduced to data collectors rather than security screeners. "Our goal at the border is to build the file to be able to identify non-genuine claims, and right now we're kind of relying on people to self-declare that they're a non-genuine claim," he told Parliamentarians.
Under the current process, border officers collect basic personal information and biometric data such as fingerprints, but they don't have the capacity to watch for patterns or red flags that might indicate security threats. Perhaps most concerning, border guards aren't permitted to review the answers refugee claimants provide through the smartphone app - that information goes directly to Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada for later processing.
Weber summarized the situation starkly: "Claimants spend significantly less time meaningfully interacting with officers, with the result of reduced security for the sake of expediency." The testimony highlights growing concerns about Canada's ability to maintain proper border security while managing unprecedented numbers of refugee claimants.
