More than 3,300 foreigners flagged as security risks allowed in Canada from 2014-2019: audit

Between 2014 and 2019, the Federal Immigration Service granted entry to Canada to more than 3,300 foreign nationals flying the flag of the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) as security risks, according to an internal federal audit.

During the five-year period studied in the audit, Immigration Refugee and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) Gave up 7,670 migration applicants a “non-favorable” recommendation, the CBSA wrote in its “Evaluation of the Immigration National Security Screening Program,” published in February.

The CBSA said non-favorable recommendations are being made to applicants for a number of “potential inadmissibility concerns,” including “espionage, subversion, terrorism, endangering the security of Canada, membership in an organization engaged in the aforementioned acts or violence.”

The CBSA also wrote that concerns may arise from knowledge of a person’s prior membership in organized crime or prior “crimes against humanity, war crimes, genocide, sanctions”.

As of June 2020, the IRCC has issued a confession decision on just over 7,140 of the applicants flagged as security risks by the CBSA.

Of those high-risk applicants, the IRCC allowed access to 3,314.

The internal control said that the Immigration Department grants entry to high-risk applicants, either because it “disagrees” with the CBSA’s “assessment of an applicant’s ineligibility” and decides to approve the application, or because they have a “waiver from public receives an order based on a letter of national interest from a federal entity … which believes that this person’s entry into Canada is in the national interest of the country.”

The IRCC told The Epoch Times in an email on June 22 that certain public policy exceptions have been in place since 2010 to allow migrants “temporary entry into Canada” and also to “protect Canada’s national interests.” while continuing to ensure the safety of Canadians”.

“The final decision on an applicant’s ineligibility is made by an immigration officer after careful review of all documents provided by the applicant,” a spokesman for the department wrote.

Unconvincing applications

The audit found that the vast majority of high-risk applicants entering Canada were granted entry for “reasons of national importance”.

The CBSA also noted that it may give an “inconclusive result” to the IRCC about a person requesting access. The federal agency said such evaluations are usually given because of missing information or withdrawn applications.

Between 2014 and 2019, the CBSA said it deemed 14,290 applications inconclusive. It added that the IRCC allowed entry to 81 percent of applicants marked as such in that time frame.

“Only 10% were denied,” the CBSA’s audit said. “The other applications have been withdrawn or are awaiting a decision.”

The audit added that the CBSA “issues inconclusive results only if there are potential concerns and they cannot be ruled out.” IRCC officers were often unable to retrieve the missing information on applications marked inconclusive due to “bilateral irritants”.

Further, it said CBSA executives and some analysts note that unclear screenings should raise a warning IRCC instead of a ‘green light’ to proceed with the application.”