More than 10,000 removal warrants in Canada’s immigration enforcement system have remained active for more than a year, even as the Canada Border Services Agency says it is carrying out removals at historic levels.
According to newly released CBSA statistics, more than 33,000 removal warrants are currently in the agency’s inventory. Vice-president Aaron McCrorie said more than 22,000 people have been removed from Canada over the past 12 months, while nearly 30,000 removals were still “in progress” as of Oct. 31.
McCrorie described the situation as a constantly shifting landscape, with millions of travellers and migrants entering the country each year—including returning citizens, tourists and asylum seekers. Among those found inadmissible, the vast majority are removed for failing to comply with the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act, such as violating the conditions of a temporary resident permit. Only 2.2 per cent are barred due to criminal offences.
With more than 70 million people passing through Canada’s ports of entry in the past year, McCrorie said the agency is dealing with a “never-ending” flow of individuals who enter the system and, in some cases, fail to comply with orders to leave. “Most people comply, but some don’t,” he said in an interview from Rigaud, Que.
An order paper response requested by Conservative immigration critic Michelle Rempel Garner revealed that more than 10,000 removal orders have remained unresolved for over a year. Rempel Garner argued that the delays undermine confidence in the immigration system and pressed for reforms to speed up appeals and removals. She proposed amendments to Bill C-12—the government’s new border security legislation—to streamline the deportation process, but those measures were not included in the bill. However, her amendments requiring monthly reporting on warrants and removals were adopted by the national security committee.
Bill C-12 continues to move through the House of Commons.
The CBSA employs approximately 550 inland investigators tasked with locating individuals with active warrants, though staffing levels fluctuate based on risk assessments and other enforcement priorities, such as drug trafficking and cross-border trade. Police forces across Canada have access to CBSA warrant information and frequently apprehend individuals during routine stops or through public tips.
The agency removes around 400 people from Canada each week, but new warrants are being added almost as fast as others are resolved. McCrorie likened the workload to “trying to bail water out of a bathtub with the tap running.” Over the past two fiscal years, he said, 9,500 warrants were closed while another 7,000 were added.
Rempel Garner said the numbers highlight the need for urgent reform. “Why would people voluntarily leave the country if they know the government isn’t going to enforce a removal order?” she asked.
In October, the federal government announced plans to hire 1,000 additional CBSA officers. McCrorie said the hiring will take place over three years to ensure can