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Toronto Star
2 hours ago
- Business
- Toronto Star
Federal bill includes new security powers to tighten border, immigration system
OTTAWA - Proposed federal legislation would give authorities new powers to search mail, make it easier for officials to pause or cancel immigration applications and expand the Canadian Coast Guard's role to include security activities. Public Safety Minister Gary Anandasangaree introduced the legislation in the House of Commons on Tuesday. The government says the wide-ranging bill aims to keep borders secure, combat transnational organized crime, stop the flow of deadly fentanyl and crack down on money laundering. ARTICLE CONTINUES BELOW 'To be truly strong, Canada must be secure,' Anandasangaree told reporters. 'That is why I'm asking all parties to come together to support this very important legislation.' The bill is part of Ottawa's effort to persuade U.S. President Donald Trump that Canada is doing enough to stem the southbound flow of drugs and migrants. Trump used claims about cross-border fentanyl traffic and irregular migration to justify imposing tariffs on Canadian imports. 'Canada will continue to work with our U.S. partners to ensure that our border remains secure, while we continue to manage the legitimate and efficient movement of people and goods between our countries,' Anandasangaree said. 'The additional measures we're taking today to further secure Canada's border will help sustain the security and economic partnership for many years to come.' The proposed legislation would, among other things: — require owners and operators at certain ports to provide facilities for the Canada Border Services Agency to examine and detain goods bound for export; — remove barriers that prevent police from searching mail, where authorized to do so under the law, to advance a criminal investigation; ARTICLE CONTINUES BELOW ARTICLE CONTINUES BELOW — expand Canada Post's inspection authority to open mail; — protect the refugee system against sudden increases in claims by introducing new ineligibility rules, and strengthen the ability to cancel, suspend or stop accepting new applications; — allow the Coast Guard to conduct security patrols and collect, analyze and circulate information and intelligence for security purposes; — enhance the ability of the RCMP to share information collected on registered sex offenders with domestic and international partners; — facilitate police access to basic information and data and amend the law governing the Canadian Security Intelligence Service to bolster the spy service's investigative tools; — ensure that electronic service providers support the police and CSIS in criminal and intelligence investigations by compelling them to fulfil legally authorized requests to access or intercept information and communications; — enable the health minister to more rapidly control precursor chemicals that can be used to produce illicit drugs; ARTICLE CONTINUES BELOW ARTICLE CONTINUES BELOW — introduce new restrictions on large cash transactions and 'third party deposits.' The new bill builds on earlier Canadian border security measures, including round-the-clock surveillance of the border using helicopters, drones and surveillance towers. Ottawa is also working with Washington on a North American 'joint strike force' to target organized crime groups that work across borders. — With files from Alessia Passafiume This report by The Canadian Press was first published June 3, 2025. Politics Headlines Newsletter Get the latest news and unmatched insights in your inbox every evening Error! Sorry, there was an error processing your request. There was a problem with the recaptcha. Please try again. Please enter a valid email address. Sign Up Yes, I'd also like to receive customized content suggestions and promotional messages from the Star. You may unsubscribe at any time. By signing up, you agree to our terms of use and privacy policy. This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google privacy policy and terms of service apply. Politics Headlines Newsletter You're signed up! You'll start getting Politics Headlines in your inbox soon. Want more of the latest from us? Sign up for more at our newsletter page.
Edmonton Journal
5 hours ago
- Business
- Edmonton Journal
Liberal government tables border security bill with sweeping new data collection powers
Article content OTTAWA — The Liberal government tabled a significant border security bill on Tuesday that includes sweeping new powers to intercept or search communications including mail, a tightening of the asylum claim process and increased intelligence collection and sharing across the federal government. The 139-page Bill C-2, tabled Tuesday morning, proposes vast changes to Canadian border security, data collection and sharing by federal authorities, anti-money laundering rules, the asylum claim system and the Canadian Coast Guard (CCG).
Calgary Herald
5 hours ago
- Business
- Calgary Herald
Liberal government tables border security bill with sweeping new data collection powers
OTTAWA — The Liberal government tabled a significant border security bill on Tuesday that includes sweeping new powers to intercept or search communications including mail, a tightening of the asylum claim process and increased intelligence collection and sharing across the federal government. Article content The 139-page Bill C-2, tabled Tuesday morning, proposes vast changes to Canadian border security, data collection and sharing by federal authorities, anti-money laundering rules, the asylum claim system and the Canadian Coast Guard (CCG). Article content Article content Article content The government said the bill had three main themes: securing the border, fighting organized crime and fentanyl and boosting the fight against financial crimes. Article content Article content Throughout all those themes are improved powers for law enforcement and intelligence services like CSIS to access information, including some without a warrant approved by a court, or even search Canadians' mail as part of a criminal investigation. Article content It would also increase the Canada Border Services Agency's (CBSA) ability to search containers exiting the country by obligating transporters and warehouse operators to provide site access to border agents for export inspections. Article content Public Safety Minister Gary Anandasangaree told reporters on Tuesday that the new data collection and sharing powers in the bill also come with the necessary safeguards. Article content 'In order for me to bring forward legislation, it needed to have the safeguards in place. It needed to be in line with the values of the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms, and I fundamentally believe that that we have struck the balance that, while expanding powers in certain instances, does have the safeguards and the protections in place to protect individual freedoms or rights,' the minister said. Article content Article content With regards to border security, a frequent gripe against Canada by U.S. President Donald Trump, the bill proposes to tighten rules around asylum claims, allow the RCMP to share information about registered sex offenders with domestic international partners and gives the CCG a new protective security role. Article content For example, the bill would allow the government to deem inadmissible wide swaths of asylum claimants. Among them, asylum claim received over 365 days after an applicant arrived in Canada (retroactively to June 24, 2020). Article content That measure, if passed, would likely impact tens of thousands of asylum claims received from international students after the Liberals drastically cut down on foreign study permits last year.
Vancouver Sun
5 hours ago
- Business
- Vancouver Sun
Liberal government tables border security bill with sweeping new data collection powers
OTTAWA — The Liberal government tabled a significant border security bill on Tuesday that includes sweeping new powers to intercept or search communications including mail, a tightening of the asylum claim process and increased intelligence collection and sharing across the federal government. The 139-page Bill C-2, tabled Tuesday morning, proposes vast changes to Canadian border security, data collection and sharing by federal authorities, anti-money laundering rules, the asylum claim system and the Canadian Coast Guard (CCG). The government said the bill had three main themes: securing the border, fighting organized crime and fentanyl and boosting the fight against financial crimes. Start your day with a roundup of B.C.-focused news and opinion. By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc. A welcome email is on its way. If you don't see it, please check your junk folder. The next issue of Sunrise will soon be in your inbox. Please try again Interested in more newsletters? Browse here. Throughout all those themes are improved powers for law enforcement and intelligence services like CSIS to access information, including some without a warrant approved by a court, or even search Canadians' mail as part of a criminal investigation. It would also increase the Canada Border Services Agency's (CBSA) ability to search containers exiting the country by obligating transporters and warehouse operators to provide site access to border agents for export inspections. Public Safety Minister Gary Anandasangaree told reporters on Tuesday that the new data collection and sharing powers in the bill also come with the necessary safeguards. 'In order for me to bring forward legislation, it needed to have the safeguards in place. It needed to be in line with the values of the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms, and I fundamentally believe that that we have struck the balance that, while expanding powers in certain instances, does have the safeguards and the protections in place to protect individual freedoms or rights,' the minister said. With regards to border security, a frequent gripe against Canada by U.S. President Donald Trump, the bill proposes to tighten rules around asylum claims, allow the RCMP to share information about registered sex offenders with domestic international partners and gives the CCG a new protective security role. For example, the bill would allow the government to deem inadmissible wide swaths of asylum claimants. Among them, asylum claim received over 365 days after an applicant arrived in Canada (retroactively to June 24, 2020). That measure, if passed, would likely impact tens of thousands of asylum claims received from international students after the Liberals drastically cut down on foreign study permits last year. The bill would also close a loophole in the Safe Third Country Agreement with the U.S. by blocking asylum claims made 14 days after an applicant crossed into Canada from the U.S. clandestinely by land. The bill also proposes to give the Canadian Coast Guard a new security mandate and the ability to share information with the military and intelligence agencies. If the legislation passes, the Coast Guard would be given power to start conducting 'security patrols' to monitor suspicious vessels near the border or in the Arctic and share information gathered with security organizations. As a civilian agency, it is currently not allowed to share the data with the military or intelligence agencies. The Liberals are also proposing to increase civil and criminal penalties for failing to comply with Canadian anti-money laundering and terrorism funding laws while boosting compliance and surveillance obligations. The bill would also set new limits on cash transactions above $10,000 in order to curb money laundering. The bill would also implement a new Act forcing almost any organization that offers nearly any form of 'electronic services' to organize users' data to ensure that it can be requested and accessed by law enforcement or intelligence agencies if necessary and approved. In other words, an organization that uses any form of electronic services geared towards people in Canada or that operates in the country will have to implement tools to ensure data relating to those services and the users can be extracted and provided to authorities when mandated. The bill reprised some of the legislative measures promised by Justin Trudeau's government back in December but that weren't tabled at the time because the former prime minister prorogued Parliament in early January. National Post Get more deep-dive National Post political coverage and analysis in your inbox with the Political Hack newsletter, where Ottawa bureau chief Stuart Thomson and political analyst Tasha Kheiriddin get at what's really going on behind the scenes on Parliament Hill every Wednesday and Friday, exclusively for subscribers. Sign up here . Our website is the place for the latest breaking news, exclusive scoops, longreads and provocative commentary. Please bookmark and sign up for our daily newsletter, Posted, here .
Hamilton Spectator
6 hours ago
- General
- Hamilton Spectator
Bill includes array of new security powers to tighten border, immigration system
OTTAWA - Newly tabled legislation would give authorities new powers to search mail, allow officials to pause or cancel immigration applications more easily and expand the Canadian Coast Guard's role to include security activities. The government says the wide-ranging bill aims to keep borders secure, combat transnational organized crime, stop the flow of illegal fentanyl and crack down on money laundering. Public Safety Minister Gary Anandasangaree introduced the legislation in the House of Commons today. The recent throne speech promised measures to bolster security at Canada's borders and new tools for police and intelligence agencies. The bill is part of Canada's effort to persuade U.S. President Donald Trump that Canada is doing enough to stem the southbound flow of drugs and migrants since he blamed fentanyl and irregular migration to justify tariffs on Canadian imports. The new bill will build on earlier Canadian measures, including round-the-clock surveillance of the border using helicopters, drones and surveillance towers. Ottawa is also working with Washington on a North American 'joint strike force' to target organized crime groups that work across borders. This report by The Canadian Press was first published June 3, 2025.
