Federal government considering spending $1 billion on border security: sources

The Trudeau government is considering spending hundreds of millions of dollars to protect the Canada-U.S. border in an attempt to allay Donald Trump’s concerns and avoid his threat to impose 25 per cent tariffs, sources told Radio-Canada.

Several sources who spoke to Radio-Canada say the amount could exceed $1 billion. The plan has not been finalized and various scenarios will be presented to the federal cabinet soon.

“The work that we have done on the borders is present and continuing,” Treasury Board President Anita Anand said Monday morning at a press conference outside Ottawa. She said that she sees “hundreds of millions of dollars in government initiatives going towards the border to ensure that they’re more secure.”

The Hill Times first reported the $1 billion figure on Monday.

In the past few days, Public Safety Minister Dominic LeBlanc has announced his intention to increase the number of officers at the border and to buy additional equipment, such as drones and helicopters, to increase patrols.

Radio-Canada also reported last week that the RCMP was preparing to purchase 17 new drones, with an option to buy at least 14 more.

Two sources familiar with the matter told Radio-Canada that the intention is to announce the new border plan by Christmas, a few week before Trump’s inauguration on Jan. 20.

In an interview on Sunday, Trump repeated his threat to impose a 25 per cent tariff on products from Canada and Mexico unless they curb the flow of drugs and migrants across their borders.

“I’m a big believer in tariffs. I think tariffs are the most beautiful word … It’s going to make us rich,” Trump said in an interview on NBC’s Meet the Press that aired on Sunday.

Two changes to immigration policy

According to one senior source, the Trudeau government also wants to take advantage of the border funding to make changes to its immigration policies.

The strategy is twofold: to reduce irritants for U.S. customs officials and to guard against a possible increase in migrant crossings from the United States if Trump goes ahead with his plan to deport millions of undocumented immigrants.

According to Radio-Canada’s source, Ottawa is considering closing a loophole in the Safe Third Country Agreement with the U.S.

Right now, people who cross illegally from the U.S. into Canada and spent 14 days in the country without being detected are granted the right to make an asylum claim.

Instead, the Trudeau government wants to give itself the power to return those people to their countries of origin without allowing them to claim asylum.

Those migrants would still have a way of avoiding deportation: they could apply for a ‘pre-removal risk assessment’ if they believe they are at risk of torture or cruel treatment in their country of origin.

The Bloc Québécois has already called for this loophole to be closed. 

Cracking down on ‘flagpoling’

In addition, Ottawa will also be trying to curb the practice of ‘flagpoling,’ a method for holders of student or work visas to renew them quickly and easily.

The practice consists of leaving Canada at a land crossing, without entering the U.S., and asking Canadian customs officials to renew the visa on their return.

For permit holders, the tactic avoids the time-consuming process of applying online or by form. However, the practice irritates U.S. customs officials who have to manage the increased traffic.

To reduce the pressure on American border officials, the Trudeau government wants to create points of service near major centres in Canada so visa holders can apply for renewals in-person, without leaving the country.

It’s not yet known which of the government’s proposals will require legislative changes. It’s also unclear whether the border plan will be the subject of an individual bill, or whether it will be included in the government’s fall economic statement, which will be presented next Monday.