Standing Committee on Public Safety and National Security: 2019 to 2020 Supplementary Estimates (B) and 2020 to 2021 Main Estimates (February 26, 2020)
Supplementary Estimates (B) Financial Notes

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Financial overview 2019-2020 supplementary estimates “B”

Key messages:

The Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) is requesting an increase of $3.3 million in the Supplementary Estimates B, or 0.1% of total available authorities-to-date.

This brings CBSA’s total voted proposed authorities-to-date to $2,226.6 million broken down as follows:

Total Authorities ($2,226.6 million)

• $1,674.9 million – 2019-20 Main Estimates (excluding Budget 2019)
• $205.5 million – Budget 2019 implementation vote allocated
• $56.3 million – Budget 2019 implementation vote withheld and remaining
• $211.2 million – Carryforward
• $0.6 million - Other Government Initiatives
• $63.2 million – Supplementary Estimates A
• $10.8 million – Treasury Board Vote 30 – Paylist allocations
• $4.1 million – Treasury Board Vote 15 – Compensation allocations

Anticipated Authorities

• $3.3 million – Supplementary Estimates B

The 2019-20 Supplementary Estimates B items contributing to the $3.3 million increase in authorities include:

New Authorities included in Supplementary Estimates B – $1.0 million:

• $0.5 million – Funding for the 2019-2021 Immigration Levels Plan (IRCC-led)
• $0.5 million – Funding for a strong Sanctions Regime (GAC-led)

Transfers from Other Organizations:

• $2.1 million – From the Department of Citizenship and Immigration to CBSA for the Air Carrier Support Centre
• $1.7 million – From the Royal Canadian Mounted Police to CBSA to administer the import requirements of the Firearms Act
• $0.2 million – From the Department of Public Works and Government Services to CBSA to implement and support cluster management offices as part of the Federal Sciences and Technology Infrastructure Initiative

Transfers to Other Organizations:

• ($0.8 million) – From CBSA to Department of Foreign Affairs, Trade and Development to support departmental staff located at missions abroad
• ($0.9 million) – From CBSA to Department of Transport to set up the Passenger Protect Program Operations Centre

Funding to support the multi-Year immigration levels Plan: $0.5 million

Key messages

As part of the Multi-Year Immigration Levels Plan, the Government of Canada committed to welcoming 330,800 immigrants in calendar year 2019, including 800 vulnerable women and girls from global conflict zones. This was an extraordinary measure, over and above previously established refugee resettlement levels for 2019, intended to respond in part to the tragic circumstances of the Yazidi community in norther Iraq and Syria.

The CBSA is receiving $0.5 million through the 2019 2020 Supplementary Estimates B to support Canada’s immigration levels, particularly the incremental pressure created by the decision to resettle an additional 800 protected persons.

The role of the CBSA under the immigration plan is to undertake security screening, admissibility determinations, and the processing of travellers and goods at ports of entry upon arrival.

The Agency is also mandated to conduct enforcement activities inland, in respect of persons who for any reason, including failure to comply with residency requirements, subsequently lose their permanent resident status.

Overview

On October 31, 2018, the Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship tabled the Government’s new Multi-Year Levels Plan for 2019-2021, which built on the 2018-2020 levels plan and featured an increase of 800 additional admissions to the 2019 target.

This incremental increase reflected a Budget 2018 commitment to resettle an additional 1,000 vulnerable women and girls from various conflict zones around the world (200 of which were admitted in 2018).

Through the 2019-20 Main Estimates, the CBSA was allocated $17.7 million (excluding EBP, PSPC accommodation costs and SSC costs) for activities related to the Multi-Year Immigration Levels Plan.

The CBSA is receiving an additional $0.5 million through the 2019 2020 Supplementary Estimates B to support the incremental pressure created by the decision to resettle an additional 800 protected persons.

The CBSA’s role in administration and enforcement of Canada’s Immigration Program includes:

• security screening to inform IRCC officer decisions on the issuance of visas;
• verification of identity and assistance to partners prior to a Permanent Resident coming to Canada (e.g. airlines, local authorities and airports);
• processing of new PRs when they arrive at a Canadian port of entry through verification of applicant identity and compliance with legislative and regulatory requirements for admissibility to Canada; and,
• immigration enforcement within Canada, including investigations, detentions and potential removals of individuals who are deemed inadmissible pursuant to the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act (IRPA).

Funding profile

Explanation of Funding (FCMB) (in million $) (excludes EBP, PSPC and SSC):

Explanation of Funding for 2019-2020:

In 2019-2020 the CBSA requested $0.5 million of funding through the Supplementary Estimates B.

Supplementary Estimates B - $0.5 million (Numbers may differ due to rounding )

• $0.3 million under Vote 1 - Salary
• $0.2 million under Vote 1 - Operating

Breakdown of Funding for 2019-2020 (Numbers may differ due to rounding)

Post Arrival in Canada – Enforcement & Intelligence: $0.3 million

The CBSA’s Enforcement and Intelligence Program is responsible for inland enforcement activities related to permanent residents who subsequently lose their PR status for any reason including, for example, a failure to abide by residency requirements or a conviction for a serious criminal offence in Canada. The inland enforcement program conducts investigations, represents the Minister at admissibility and detention review hearings, detains persons who pose a danger or flight risk, and removes individuals who have been found inadmissible to Canada and issued removal orders. The increased funding sought via the Supplementary Estimates B process will fund CBSA enforcement activities associated with the incremental increase to 2019 admission levels that would otherwise remain unfunded. These activity supports the objectives of the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act as they relate to public safety and security.

Force Generation & Information Technology: $0.2 million

The CBSA’s Force Generation Program provides for the recruitment, training, and on-the-job coaching of new front-line officers including, but not limited to, border services officers and enforcement and intelligence officers. It is responsive to CBSA business requirements and provides for new officers to address front-line attrition rates. Activities comprise: in-residence training at the CBSA College (including the delivery of classroom, scenario, use-of-force, and firearms training, and room and board at the College); probationary placement during a developmental period at a Port of Entry (including officer relocation and travel); development of national training standards for border services officers; and ongoing recertification activities.

Funding to provide support for the sanctions regime: $0.5 million

Key messages

Funding is required to create a more cohesive and coherent approach to the enforcement of sanction-related inadmissibility requirements, as well as address recommendations made by the House of Commons Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs and International Development (FAAE) report entitled, A Coherent and Effective Approach to Canada’s Sanctions Regimes: Sergei Magnitsky and Beyond.

The CBSA is requesting $0.5 million in 2019-2020 Supplementary Estimate B (excluding EBP, PSPC accommodation costs and SSC costs) to support activities related to the enforcement of sanctions-related inadmissibility provisions, which includes operational intelligence and inland enforcement activities. Funding will also be directed to sanctions inadmissibility legislative and regulatory development to address FAAE recommendations.

Overview

The use of sanctions as an instrument of foreign policy has increased significantly over the past decade by Canada, key allies, and the United Nations in response to increasingly complex political crises. Canada’s policy tools and capacity, however, have not kept pace.

In April 2017, the FAAE released a report that was highly critical of the administration of Canada’s sanctions regime.

While 12 of the 13 recommendations in the report fall under the purview of the Minister of Foreign Affairs, one recommendation falls under the Minister of Public Safety’s responsibility. This recommendation calls for amendments to the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act (IRPA), to render all individuals subject to sanction measures under the Special Economic Measures Act (SEMA) as inadmissible to Canada.

Subsequently, in October 2017, the Justice for Victims of Corrupt Foreign Officials Act (JVCFOA), came into force along with amendments to the SEMA and the IRPA. The JVCFOA, created two new inadmissibility grounds in the IRPA, impacting the CBSA’s immigration enforcement program.

Following the coming into force of the JVCFOA, Budget 2018 announced $22.2M over five years (beginning in fiscal year 2018-19), to provide Global Affairs Canada and the CBSA funds to strengthen Canada’s sanctions system, of which $2.6 M over five years was earmarked for the CBSA to provide dedicated resources towards policy, program, operational coordination and enforcement of Canada’s sanctions-related inadmissibility regime. The funding for 2018-19 has since lapsed.

Funding Profile (in millions $) excluding EBP, SSC and PSPC (Numbers may differ due to rounding )

Explanation of Funding for 2019-2020

In 2019-2020 the CBSA requested $0.5 million of funding through the Supplementary Estimates B.

Supplementary Estimates B - $0.5 million (Numbers may differ due to rounding )

• $0.4 million under Vote 1 - Salary
• $0.1 million under Vote 1 - Operating

Activity 1 – Inland Enforcement : $0.06 million

Additional funding will be provided to regional operations to support any increase to operational requirements due to sanctions. Inland enforcement measures will be taken against persons rendered inadmissible as a result of an imposed sanction. Inland enforcement measures include preparing inadmissibility reports, detentions and removals.

Activity 2 - Intelligence: $0.09 million

Funding for intelligence is for the input and maintenance of intelligence lookouts. In addition, operationally, greater coordination will be established amongst CBSA intelligence and GAC, to ensure that lookouts are placed on all subjects of a unilateral or multilateral sanction. This will ensure that the CBSA and Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada interdict an individual as early as possible.

Activity 3 – Program Management and Policy Development : $0.24 million

From a policy perspective, funding is required to allow for the necessary policy, legislative and regulatory development to both incorporate the new sanctions inadmissibility grounds into the existing inadmissibility decision-making processes, and also more fully address the FAAE report recommendation. This funding will also support stakeholder engagement and general maintenance of the sanctions legislative framework. Funding will also be provided for the overall program management of CBSA’s sanctions inadmissibility regime, which includes the development of policy manuals, inquiries from Border Services Officers, and operational bulletins and updates. Additionally, a small amount of funding will be provided to support any litigation that may arise from these cases.

Activity 4 – Corporate Support : $0.07 million

Funding is required to provide CBSA’s sanctions program with the indirect corporate support that is required when hiring new employees and implementing new programs or initiatives. This includes additional funding to human resources, information technology, legal services and corporate affairs.

Transfers to and from other organizations: $2.33 million

Financial highlights

The Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) transfers funds to and from other organizations for the administration of joint responsibilities or initiatives and cost sharing agreements.

CBSA is transferring in a net amount of $2.33 million from other organizations through the Supplementary Estimates:

• $1.72 million under Vote 1 - Salary
• $0.93 million under Vote 1 - Operating
• $(0.32) million under Vote 5 - Capital

Overview

CBSA has a total of five transfers to and from other organizations through the Supplementary Estimates related to the administration of joint responsibilities and cost sharing agreements.

Organizations include the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP), Department of Citizenship and Immigration (IRCC), the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA), Transport Canada (TC) and the Department of Foreign Affairs, Trade and Development (DFATD).

Explanation of funding for 2019-2020

In 2019-2020 the CBSA requested a net transfer of $2.33 million (excluding EBP, PSPC accommodation and SSC costs) for transfers to and from other organizations.

Supplementary Estimates - $2.33 million:

• $1.72 million under Vote 1 - Salary
• $0.93 million under Vote 1 - Operating
• $(0.32) million under Vote 5 - Capital

Breakdown of funding for 2019-2020:

Transfers from Other Government Departments – $4.01 million:

$0.18 million from Canadian Food Inspection Agency to Canada Border Services Agency related to the implementation and support of a Cluster Management Office as part of the Laboratories Canada Initiative.

$2.13 million From the Department of Citizenship and Immigration to Canada Border Services Agency to share the costs of the Air Carrier Support Centre.

$1.70 million from RCMP to CBSA for administering the relevant import requirements of the Firearms Act. The Agency administers border related provisions of the Firearms Act on behalf of the RCMP. Border Service Officers are responsible for determining the eligibility of importers to import firearms by ensuring they meet all relevant provision of the Firearms Act.

Transfers to other government departments – ($1.68) million:

($0.86) million to Transport Canada to set-up the Passenger Protect Program (PPP) Operations Centre to support centralized screening and air carrier resolution calls.

($0.82) million to the DFATD to provide support to the CBSA staff located at missions abroad. A Memorandum of Understanding was signed in 2009 in which the CBSA transfers funds to DFATD for the support of the CBSA departmental staff located at missions abroad. The transfer amount varies over time depending on the level of the CBSA departmental staff located abroad.

Budget 2019 organizational overview: Canada Border Services Agency

Key Budget 2019 Highlights for the CBSA (Asylum reform and irregular migration funding)

$382 million over five years with $7.3 million ongoing to help increase asylum system capacity, strengthen processes at the border, accelerate claim processing, facilitate the timely removal of failed claimants, and provide for new authorities under the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act (IRPA) to better manage, discourage and prevent irregular migrants, as follows:

• Border Management - $78.88 million over two years (fiscal year (FY) 2019-20 – FY 2020-21) to process additional refugee claimants at ports of entry, including related infrastructure, humanitarian aid, equipment and operational costs resulting from the ongoing influx of irregular migrants.
• Front End Security Screening - $6.03 million over two years (FY 2019-20 – FY 2020-21) to conduct security screening assessments for all adults claimants to identify individuals who may be inadmissible on serious grounds (e.g. security, war crimes and crimes against humanity, and organized crimes).
• Inland Enforcement - $159.73 million over three years (FY 2019-20 – FY 2021-22) to undertake additional downstream enforcement activities against failed refugee claimants following an increase in decisions by the Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada (IRB), including additional investigations, detentions, hearings, and removals as well a related policy support, program management and operational coordination activities.
• Immigration Investigations: $15.00 million (including 57 FTEs peak in 2020-21)
• Detentions: $23.58 million (including 17 FTEs peak in 2021-22)
• Hearings: $25.15 million (including 89 FTEs peak in 2021-22)
• Removals: $83.32 million (including 111 FTEs peak in 2021-22)
• Force Gen: $12.72 million
• IT Systems Changes - $51.04 million over three years (FY 2019-20 – FY 2021-22) [Redacted] and to make necessary changes to IT systems to allow for faster claim processing and ensure that IT systems are updated once proposed legislative amendments to the IRPA come into force.
• International Engagement - $36.11 million over five years (FY 2019-20 – FY 2023-24) with $6.87 million ongoing to support international engagement efforts with recalcitrant countries in order to facilitate the timely removal of failed claimants, intercept migrants abroad with the intent to deter irregular migration, [Redacted].
• Corporate - $49.96 million over five years (FY 2019-20 – FY 2023-24) with $.46 million ongoing for incremental corporate expenditures related to the above-mentioned activities.

Detailed overview of direct costs and full-Time equivalents (FTEs)

Budget 2019 approved funding for the CBSA in the amount of $382 million over fives years to enhance the integrity of Canada’s borders and asylum system. This includes short-term incremental funding to increase the Agency’s capacity to process and conduct security screening assessments for a higher volume of refugee claimants and to strengthen processes at the border to manage the ongoing influx of irregular migrants over the next two years.

Budget 2019 also provided the Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada (IRB) with bridge funding to finalize higher volume of decisions over the next two years. The IRB will ramp-up to 41,000 decision in FY 2019-20 and 50,000 in FY 2020-21, which is expected to increase the volume of failed refugee claimants during this period. As a result, funding provided to the CBSA under Budget 2019 will ensure that the Agency can undertake additional downstream enforcement activities relating to the higher volume of failed claimants, including investigations, detentions, hearings and removals. It will also enable the CBSA to take actions overseas to deter and discourage the flow of irregular migrants and increase the Agency’s capacity to engage recalcitrant countries in an effort to secure travel documents to allow for the timely removal of failed claimants from Canada.

Border management

Funding: $78.88 million over two years (FY2019-20 – FY 2020-21) with no ongoing funding, including:

• Claim processing: $14.12 million over two years to process the incremental volume of unfunded claims and remove foreign nations determined to be ineligible to make a claim due to the Safe Third Country Agreement (STCA).
• Infrastructure and Security: $48.04 million over two years related to infrastructure, equipment, lease and physical security costs associated with processing irregular migrants
• Humanitarian Aid: $10.02 million over two years to provide irregular migrants with access to humanitarian services, food, water, and interpreters.
• Asylum Seekers Task Force and Fusion Centre: $2.92 million over two years to provide ongoing operation support to regions impacted by irregular migration.
• Force Generation (BSOs): $3.77 million over three years to recruit, hire and train new Border Services Officers to support claim processing at ports of entry.

FTEs Required: 107 in peak year (FY 2019-20), including:

• 61 frontline officers (including both BSOs and supervisors)
• 35 administrative support staff to support claim processing
• 10 FTEs for the Asylum Seekers Task Force and Irregular Migration Fusion Centre
• 1 FTE to coordinate CBSA IT system enhancements to streamline claim processing at ports of entry

Front end security screening

Funding: $6.03 million over two years (FY2019-20 – FY 2020-21) with no ongoing funding to conduct security screening assessments for 100% of adult claimants, reduce the existing backlog of cases in the CBSA’s inventory, and enable the CBSA to shift to a 24/7 operational model, as required, should volumes increase significantly during this period.

FTEs Required: 22 in peak year (FY 2019-20), including:

• 20 FTEs to conduct front-end security screening assessments
• 2 FTEs to provide administrative support with the National Security Screening Division

Inland enforcement

Funding: $159.73 million over three years (FY2019-20 – FY 2021-22) with no ongoing funding, including:

• Investigations: $15.00 million over three years to conduct additional immigration investigations against failed claimants
• Detentions: $23.58 million over three years to detain non-compliant foreign nationals prior to removal (e.g. flight risks)
• Hearings: $25.15 million over three years to attend additional hearings before the IRB, increase the CBSA’s capacity for reviews and interventions and support the expansion of the Integrated Claim Assessment Centre (ICAC) pilot in the GTA region.
• Removals: $83.32 million over three years to increase capacity to remove failed claimants from Canada based on the projected increase in failed claimants, including the use of charters, where feasible.
• Force Generation: $12.72 million over three years to recruit, hire and train new Inland Enforcement Officers (IEOs) and Hearings Officers to support enforcement efforts; includes an external staffing and training strategy to resource a segment of Hearings Officers.
  • Policy/Program/Operational Support: $5.74 million over 3 years to provide dedicated policy, program and legal support for FTEs for the relevant enforcement and intelligence business lines and to establish a new program to incentivize failed claimants to depart Canada voluntarily. These resources are embedded already in the Immigration Enforcement Programs above.

FTEs Required: 227 in peak year (FY 2020-21), including:

• 150 IEOs to undertake enforcement activities against failed claimants, including investigations, detentions and removals
• 70 Hearings Officers to review claims for potential inadmissibility/ineligibility and attend hearings before the IRB
• 12 FTEs to perform supervisory duties based on the incremental IEOs/HOs
• 17 FTEs to support the expansion of the ICAC pilot in the GTA region
• 16 FTEs to support the ongoing policy program management, case management, litigation management activities and administratively cancel warrants for individuals confirmed to no longer be in Canada
• 5 FTEs to process the anticipated increase in applications for Ministerial Relief resulting from the increase in failed claimants
• 2 FTEs to lead the program design and policy development to provide incentives for failed claimants to depart Canada voluntarily

IT systems changes

Funding: $51.04 million over three years (FY 2019-20 – FY 2021-22) with no ongoing funding, including:

• CBSA IT Systems Updates: $15.23 million over three years to update CBSA’s IT systems based on legislative amendments to the IRPA to be introduced under the Budget Implementation Act and updates to IRCC’s Global Case Management System to expedite claim processing.

FTEs Required: 46 required in peak year (FY 2020-21) for program management and IT development activities.

International engagement

Funding: $36.11 million over five years (FY 2019-20 – FY 2023-24) with $6.87 million ongoing funding, including:

• Engagement with Recalcitrant Countries: $3.01 million over five years to implement the Government of Canada recalcitrant country strategy and action plans to increase travel document issuance and facilitate removal operations.
• Capacity Building: $11.47 million over five years to increase capacity to engage recalcitrant countries to help facilitate the timely removal of failed claimants from Canada.
• Liaison Officers: $19.21 million over five years to detect and discourage irregular migration flows abroad and engage foreign governments to advance Government priorities.

FTEs Required: 16 required in peak year (FY 2019-20), including:

• 3 FTEs to support [Redacted]
• 4 FTEs to support engagement with recalcitrant countries
• 4 FTEs to support capacity building efforts overseas
• 5 Liaison Officers to support international engagement efforts

Corporate

Funding: $49.96 million over five years (FY 2019-20 – FY 2023-24) with $0.46 million ongoing funding (e.g. Shared Services Canada, accommodations, and internal services).

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Date modified:

2020-06-27