Early Sunday morning, February 26, 2017, migrants from Somalia cross into Canada illegally from the United States by walking down this train track into the town of Emerson, Man., where they will seek asylum at Canada Border Services Agency. The Canada Border Services Agency has been asked to “pick up the pace” in removing asylum seekers whose refugee claims have been rejected. (John Woods/The Canadian Press)

Early Sunday morning, February 26, 2017, migrants from Somalia cross into Canada illegally from the United States by walking down this train track into the town of Emerson, Man., where they will seek asylum at Canada Border Services Agency. The Canada Border Services Agency has been asked to “pick up the pace” in removing asylum seekers whose refugee claims have been rejected. (John Woods/The Canadian Press)

Canada Border Services Agency told to speed removals of failed refugee claimants

CBSA has set a new target of 10,000 removals by March

Public Safety Minister Ralph Goodale is telling the Canada Border Services Agency to remove more refugee claimants whose requests for asylum in Canada have been rejected.

The CBSA has set a new target of completing 10,000 removals by the end of the 2018-19 fiscal year in March. This would mean an increase of 35 per cent compared to the last two years.

Goodale says the CBSA has been given $7.46 million more to ensure that all asylum seekers who have exhausted their legal avenues of appeal are removed from the country.

He says his department has notified the agency it must “pick up the pace” of these removals.

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Prime Minister Justin Trudeau says the government has been looking at ways of speeding up these cases to ensure Canada’s immigration system remains an integrated system that functions properly.

CBSA prioritizes removals of individuals based on issues of security and whether they have been involved in organized crime or crimes against humanity.

The Canadian Press


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