Departmental Plan (2023 to 2024): Introduction

From the Minister

As Minister of Public Safety, I am pleased to present to Parliament the Canada Border Services Agency's (CBSA) Departmental Plan for the 2023 to 2024 fiscal year.

As we continue taking steps towards recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic, the CBSA remains steadfast in protecting the health, safety and security of our communities and economy, while maintaining strong and adaptive border management. With the lifting of COVID-19 border measures as of October 2022, the agency will continue supporting pandemic recovery efforts in the year ahead. The Agency is realigning its operations to handle post-pandemic patterns of travel and trade, wile maintaining operational readiness to address potential COVID-19 variants of concern going forward.

In line with its transformation agenda, the CBSA will advance its vision for the border of the future, while integrating lessons learned from the pandemic and addressing global trends in travel and trade. The Agency is exploring ways to optimize and digitize its services, including the expansion of contactless technology and self-service tools, with a view to streamlining the border clearance process, reducing the need for physical interactions, and facilitating the cross-border flow of legitimate travel and trade. The Agency is also advancing the CBSA Assessment and Revenue Management (CARM) project to transform the collection of duties and taxes for imported goods. Additionally, to strengthen law enforcement accountability, transparency and public trust, the Government is advancing its pledge to establish an independent review body for the CBSA.

The CBSA will continue taking action to combat the cross-border movement of firearms and illicit drugs. The Agency is advancing efforts with key partners through its Cross-Border Firearms Task Force aimed at the prevention of illicit firearms smuggling and the disruption of organized crime, while its National Firearms Intelligence Desk and National Targeting Centre support firearm interdictions at ports of entry across the country. Concurrently, the Agency is strengthening capacity to intercept illegal substances at ports of entry and take appropriate enforcement action by equipping officers with risk assessment, detection and enforcement tools.

To enhance the integrity of Canada's immigration system, the CBSA will continue efforts to increase processing efficiencies in the national security screening program and in removal operations for inadmissible persons, while working closely with federal partners to ensure a coordinated approach to irregular migration. The CBSA is actively assessing its immigration detention framework. They commit to enhancing alternatives to detention and limiting the grounds on which individuals are detained. They are working with the Government of Canada to find alternatives to provincial jails and adequately address mental health concerns. Additionally, in furtherance of Canada's humanitarian obligations, the Agency will continue to support resettlement commitments for refugees from Afghanistan, as well as immigration measures for those affected by the conflict in Ukraine.

From an economic perspective, the CBSA will continue efforts to support the Canadian economy through streamlined border processes to more efficiently process large volumes of commercial traffic, thereby enhancing predictability and compliance at the border. Additionally, the Agency will continue to conduct anti-dumping and countervailing investigations to guard against unfair trade practices, while remaining engaged with Employment and Social Development Canada (ESDC) to conduct risking and intercept shipments of goods believed to be made with forced labour.

As the CBSA continues to refine its internal practices and workplace culture, it will move forward with an array of initiatives to foster a healthy and respectful workplace free of harassment and discrimination, and to build a diverse workforce reflective of Canada's population. The Agency will also keep taking steps towards Reconciliation with Indigenous Peoples through an array of efforts to ensure that Indigenous culture, interests and issues are reflected in CBSA operations.

I am honoured to serve as the Minister responsible for the CBSA and I am confident that the Agency will continue to serve Canadians well in the year ahead.

The Honourable Marco E. L. Mendicino, P.C., M.P.
Minister of Public Safety

Plans at a glance

The CBSA operates in a complex and dynamic 24/7 environment where it must respond to emerging threats and global trends, while remaining steadfast and vigilant in its commitment to protect the security of Canada's people, economy and infrastructure. To deliver on its mandate, the CBSA strives to be proactive, adaptive and innovative in responding to a constantly evolving operational environment, modernizing its technological capabilities, and mobilizing its resources to enhance the integrity of our borders and communities.

Throughout the evolving circumstances of the COVID-19 pandemic, the CBSA has maintained strong and effective border management to support trade and commerce, encourage traveller compliance with border measures, and provide up-to-date information to the public. The Agency's response has protected critical supply chains, mitigated the risk of importation and transmission of the virus, and strengthened Canada's ability to tackle the challenges of the pandemic. With the lifting of COVID-19 border measures effective October 1, 2022, the Agency will keep working with key partners in the year ahead to support pandemic recovery efforts, including a focus on operational agility to handle post-pandemic travel and trade patterns.

The CBSA's vision for the border of the future is to use technologies for border processing, reduce the need for physical interactions, and facilitate the cross-border flow of legitimate travel and trade. The Agency is leveraging its partnerships through the Border Five and Migration Five forums, including continual engagement with United States (U.S.) counterparts, to ensure a coordinated international approach that integrates lessons learned from the pandemic and addresses global trends in travel and migration. In particular, the CBSA's Traveller Modernization initiative is aiming to improve and expand border processing solutions, allowing the Agency to keep pace and work effectively with other countries that are taking similar approaches to manage their borders, while meeting the expectations of travellers and stakeholders for an efficient border experience.

For example, while the mandatory requirement to submit health information through ArriveCAN has been removed, travellers can save time at select airports by using the optional Advance CBSA Declaration feature in ArriveCAN to submit their customs and immigration information before arrival. Dedicated express lanes for travellers who use this feature are currently available at the Toronto Pearson, Vancouver, Montréal-Trudeau, Halifax, Québec City, and Winnipeg international airports, and plans are underway to expand to the Calgary, Edmonton, Ottawa, and Toronto (Billy Bishop) international airports. Furthermore, the CBSA is planning to undertake an Advance Declaration proof of concept in the highway mode, which would be available to Canadian and U.S. travellers who use this feature before arrival at select land ports of entry.

To further safeguard the integrity of Canada's borders, the CBSA will keep working to prevent the use of fraudulent travel documents for entry into Canada, including collaboration with key partners through its National Document Centre to uncover current trends in the production and use of such documents. Additionally, from an economic perspective, the CBSA will continue efforts to support the Canadian economy through streamlined border processes to more efficiently process large volumes of commercial traffic, thereby enhancing predictability and compliance at the border. The Agency will also focus efforts to conduct anti-dumping and countervailing investigations through its administration of the Special Import Measures Act (SIMA) to guard against unfair trade practices, defend domestic producers, and protect Canadian jobs.

From a workforce perspective, the physical and mental wellbeing of CBSA employees is paramount. The Agency is committed to caring for employees impacted by the pandemic and ensuring a safe return to the workplace, while further strengthening workplace culture. This will include organizing engagement sessions with senior leaders, conducting frequent pulse checks, and responding to employee feedback so that the Agency can continue performing at its best. The Agency is also reviewing its internal practices, including the implementation of a hybrid work model, in order to capitalize on improved ways of working during the pandemic and into the future.

The following pages provide details on the Agency's planned results for 2023 to 2024, encompassing its core responsibilities of border management and border enforcement, as well as ongoing efforts to refine its internal services.

Border management

• Combat the cross-border movement of firearms and illicit drugs through joint efforts with law enforcement partners, enhanced tools for detection and examination, and training programs for officers and detector dogs
• Enhance immigration security screening processes to identify inadmissible persons seeking entry into Canada, including efforts under the Security Screening Automation Project
• Enhance intelligence and enforcement capabilities, with a focus on human trafficking and fraudulent immigration consultants, for the purposes of identifying vulnerable persons and leads for criminal investigations
• Advance the Agency's vision for the border of the future, including a multi-year suite of Traveller Modernization initiatives to improve infrastructure and processes at Canada's ports of entry
• Pursue opportunities for preclearance operations in both the traveller and commercial streams to facilitate the cross-border flow of legitimate people and goods as early as possible in the travel and trade continuum
• Address the continual rise in e-commerce volumes through the Agency's E-Commerce Customs Strategy, including automated processing in the courier low-value shipment stream
• Under existing authorities, conduct risking and intercept shipments of goods believed to be made with forced labour, based on ESDC reports assessing tips and allegations received from the public
• Continue efforts to transform the collection of duties and taxes for imported goods by implementing Release 2 of the CBSA Assessment and Revenue Management (CARM) project
• Focus on expanding capacity at NEXUS enrollment centres, while also advancing the necessary program requirements to deploy additional NEXUS eGates across the country, in order to facilitate the border experience for trusted travellers
• Continue the Secure Corridor and Commercial Lane Enhancement project to facilitate the border experience for trusted traders
• Enhance officer recruitment, training and development as part of ongoing efforts to strengthen the Agency's frontline workforce, with a focus on employment equity and equity-deserving groups
• Continue the Gordie Howe International Bridge Project and the Land Border Crossing Project with the goal of modernizing the Agency's border infrastructure
• Continue efforts under the Agency's Indigenous Framework and Strategy to move forward on the pathway to Reconciliation
• Support efforts led by Public Safety Canada to establish the Public Complaints and Review Commission as an independent review body for the CBSA

Border enforcement

• Advance the Agency's policy agenda through ongoing work on a multi-year suite of initiatives geared towards immigration facilitation and balanced enforcement
• Uphold commitments under the National Strategy to Combat Human Trafficking through efforts to assess existing legislative and regulatory frameworks, with a view to ensuring that sufficient protections are in place for victims
• Continue supporting the resettlement of refugees from Afghanistan, as well as immigration measures for those affected by the conflict in Ukraine, in line with the Government's commitments and Canada's humanitarian obligations
• Focus investigative resources on high-risk immigration cases, with criminality and national security being the highest priorities, while advancing joint efforts with federal partners to improve operational coordination on irregular migration and the in-Canada refugee determination system
• Continue efforts to improve Canada's immigration detention system in line with the National Immigration Detention Framework, with a focus on ensuring that detention is used as a measure of last resort and that alternatives to detention are always considered
• Continue efforts to enhance removal operations for inadmissible persons, which include using a national triage model, prioritizing high-priority removals, and operating the Removals Help Line to encourage more voluntary removals
• Continue to enforce the Designation of the Iranian Regime pursuant to subparagraph 35(1)(b) of the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act (IRPA) in order to identify and interdict senior officials who are inadmissible to Canada

Internal services

• Continue efforts to promote employee wellbeing through the Agency's Respectful Workplace Framework and Wellness Strategy
• Continue efforts under the Agency's Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Action Plan, Official Languages Action Plan, Indigenous Workforce Strategy, Anti-Racism Strategy, and Accessibility Plan to promote the representation of equity-deserving groups at all levels
• Continue implementing a hybrid work model to achieve an effective balance of in-person and off-site work in accordance with guidelines from the Treasury Board of Canada Secretariat
• Advance the Agency's transformation agenda to ensure a strong and sustainable foundation, along with the Agency's transition to a digital workplace
• Continue the Agency's Enterprise Data and Analytics Strategy to promote data fluency and evidence-based decision-making throughout the organization
• Continue providing effective communications to support the Agency's activities and keep the public well-informed

For more information on the CBSA's plans, see Core responsibilities: Planned results and resources, and key risks.