Minister Blaney Tours the Canada Border Services Agency Facilities in the Greater Toronto Area


MISSISSAUGA, ONTARIO--(Marketwired - Sept. 20, 2013) - The Honourable Steven Blaney, Minister of Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness, today visited two of the key facilities of the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) in the Greater Toronto Area (GTA) Region.

Minister Blaney visited both the CBSA Immigration Holding Centre (IHC) and the Enforcement and Intelligence Operations Division. The visit afforded the opportunity to demonstrate the scope of the CBSA's role in protecting Canada's borders.

"The CBSA plays a vital role in ensuring Canada's immigration laws are respected and takes appropriate enforcement action to ensure the safety and security of Canadians," said Minister Blaney. "As a law enforcement Agency working in a dynamic operating environment, the CBSA demonstrates a strong commitment to facilitating the entry of legitimate travellers and goods, while at the same time identifying and removing those deemed inadmissible to Canada."

Under Canadian law, the CBSA has the authority to detain individuals. The IHC is a low-risk, non-criminal detention facility where inadmissible foreign nationals under immigration enforcement action are detained, and is administered by the CBSA GTA Region, Enforcement and Intelligence Operations Division.

The Enforcement and Intelligence Operations Division is a 24/7 CBSA operation responsible for enforcing the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act (IRPA) in the GTA Region. Its core activities include investigating violations under the IRPA, representing the Minister of Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness before the Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada, and ensuring the detention and removal of inadmissible persons from Canada.

In 2012, GTA Region officers removed 9,153 inadmissible persons. Of these, 860 were foreign nationals who were convicted of serious crimes. Officers in the GTA Region have also played a significant role in the Wanted by the CBSA program, ensuring the arrest, detention and removal of 26 of these individuals from Canada.

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Contact Information:

GTA Media Relations
Canada Border Services Agency
905-803-2800