Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) Ottawa.

Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) — Ottawa Headquarters. Through our work at Ekens Foundation International, assisting refugee claimants, asylum seekers, and immigrants across Canada, we have observed the impact of CBSA policies and enforcement practices on vulnerable individuals and families.

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The Canada Border Services Agency plays an important role in maintaining the integrity of Canada’s immigration and border systems. With an annual budget measured in billions of dollars and responsibility for immigration enforcement, detention, and removals, the agency exercises significant authority over the lives of non-citizens. Public reports indicate that CBSA removes thousands of individuals from Canada each year, averaging well over one thousand removals per month in recent years.

However, from our perspective, there are serious concerns regarding accountability, transparency, and oversight. The Ottawa headquarters should serve as a strong supervisory body to ensure that regional offices and detention facilities across Canada consistently respect the rights, dignity, privacy, and procedural protections of affected individuals. In our experience, many refugees and asylum seekers feel that their concerns are not always adequately addressed and that oversight mechanisms can appear inaccessible or ineffective.

One of the most significant challenges is the disconnect that sometimes exists between the objectives of Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) and CBSA enforcement activities. While IRCC is responsible for processing immigration applications and facilitating pathways to permanent residence, CBSA is tasked with enforcing removal orders. This can create situations where individuals who have established strong ties to Canada, have pending applications, or have compelling humanitarian circumstances face removal before all concerns are fully resolved.

The consequences of deportation can be profound. Families may be separated, children may lose stability, employers may lose valuable workers, and individuals may be returned to countries where they face significant economic hardship, insecurity, or other challenges. These impacts deserve careful consideration when removal decisions are being implemented. Canada’s long-term demographic and economic challenges also deserve attention.

An aging population and labor shortages in certain sectors have increased the importance of immigration as a driver of population and workforce growth. While immigration enforcement remains necessary, policymakers should also consider opportunities for long-term residents with strong community ties to regularize their status where appropriate. Recommendations: Strengthen independent oversight and accountability mechanisms. Improve communication and coordination between IRCC and CBSA. Expand access to quality legal representation for vulnerable claimants. Increase transparency regarding detention and removal decisions.

Enhance protections for individuals raising concerns about procedural fairness. Develop more pathways for long-term residents and well-integrated individuals to regularize their status. Ensure that humanitarian considerations receive meaningful attention throughout the enforcement process. How Rejected Refugees Can Benefit from the Legal System.

Even after a refugee claim is rejected, some individuals may still have legal avenues available, depending on their circumstances. These can include humanitarian and compassionate (H&C) applications. Judicial review before the Federal Court. Pre-removal risk assessment procedures were available.

Applications based on family sponsorship. Temporary resident permits and other discretionary remedies. Requests to reopen or reconsider proceedings in exceptional circumstances.

Author: Ekens Azubuike, Founder, Ekens Foundation International