Perrin Beatty is the past CEO of the Canadian Chamber of Commerce and a former federal cabinet minister overseeing Canada’s border. Peter German is president and executive director of the International Centre for Criminal Law Reform and a former deputy commissioner of the RCMP. Fen Osler Hampson is a chancellor’s professor at Carleton University and co-chair of the Expert Group on Canada-U.S. Relations.
Donald Trump’s threat of a massive 25-per-cent tariff on Canadian goods – unless we immediately reduce the flow of illegal migrants and drugs into the United States – definitely drew attention. Before the week was out, the Prime Minister had telephoned Mr. Trump and dined with him at Mar-a-Lago to persuade him that we had the problem in hand. The president-elect provided dinner, but made no commitment to drop the tariff idea.
Mr. Trump’s threat is an ominous harbinger of the next four years. Our government can’t – and shouldn’t – simply accede to whatever fresh demand he makes. But neither should we be in denial when genuine problems exist. We need to engage the Americans on shared issues, addressing our own shortcomings but also pressing them to act when they are a part of the problem.
It’s true that the flow of drugs and illegal immigrants into the U.S. from Canada is a tiny fraction of what crosses the U.S.-Mexico border, but we can’t pretend we don’t have a problem that’s both serious and growing. The president-elect’s threat of mass deportations is likely to lead to a flood of people attempting to flee to Canada long before he takes office. We need to press the Americans to act on their problems (a portion of the drugs that addict and kill Canadians, and the vast majority of guns used by criminals in Canada, originate in the U.S.), but addressing our own issues will give us greater leverage.
Following the 2001 terrorist attacks on the U.S., Canada went big by proposing the Smart Border Declaration. That agreement mobilized substantial resources to improve border security, share information, and protect infrastructure. Importantly, it kept the border open to legitimate travellers and goods. We need to go big again, not to appease Mr. Trump but because it is in our interest to do so.
Securing Canada’s borders starts with our leaky ports. The Ports Canada Police force was abolished in 1996, replaced by fences, cameras, and security guards. Inadequate resourcing of the RCMP has resulted in a dramatic decrease in its ability to thwart deliveries of illegal substances. The CBSA has minuscule capacity to examine the millions of containers entering our ports, many of which are then transported by rail or truck to the U.S. The merger of CP Rail and Kansas City Southern last year now makes it easier for cargo to transit from Mexico to Canada and back.
While the U.S. has a dedicated border patrol, Canada relies on the RCMP to provide border coverage as an adjunct to other pressing policing duties. The weak enforcement and inadequate monitoring and surveillance of our borders due to limited resources makes Canada a low-risk country for criminals. It is also difficult for officials to undertake complex prosecutions. Well-intentioned judicial decisions, interpreting Canada’s Charter of Rights and Freedoms, have all but tied the hands of police and prosecutors through onerous disclosure, warrant, and temporal requirements.
The theft of high-end vehicles in Ontario and Quebec and their subsequent shipment to Africa is top of the news feed. But lethal drugs and the precursors to fentanyl continue to enter our ports, resulting in thousands of deaths.
We should consider a Canadian equivalent to the U.S. Department of Defense’s Drug Interdiction and Counter-Drug program, which provides support to local enforcement agencies aimed at stemming the flow of drugs via aerial detection, monitoring and surveillance. It also serves to counter terrorist threats and provide intelligence analysis and transportation support. A Canadian program should go beyond tracking criminals and working closely with U.S. authorities – it should also help local enforcement officials with timely information about illegal migration flows across the Canada-U.S. border.
A nation is defined by its borders. Canada’s borders adjoin three oceans and the United States, our largest trading partner. Transnational organized crime groups, driven by greed, have spread their wings around the globe and, not surprisingly, have found Canada to be a relatively safe haven. We need a smart and secure border plan to put criminals and others on notice that we are no longer easy prey.