Strengthen the integrity of the border • YouBetcha

Current Status

Status: In Progress The Carney government has taken concrete steps to increase resources for border security, though other components of the promise remain unaddressed.

Background

Border security has long been a priority for Canadians, with concerns over illegal crossings, immigration fraud, and the inflow of contraband like drugs and weapons shaping public discourse. During the 2025 federal election campaign, Mark Carney positioned stronger border integrity as a cornerstone of national safety and sovereignty, promising a multi-faceted approach to address systemic gaps. Fulfilling this commitment requires not just additional personnel and funding, but also legislative and policy changes to streamline processes for identifying inadmissible individuals, reforming visa protocols, and cracking down on fraudulent immigration practices. Under the previous Trudeau government, discussions and preliminary measures around border security were initiated, but these efforts often faced criticism for lacking enforcement teeth.

Evidence

Since taking office, the Carney government has initiated specific actions toward strengthening border integrity, though progress is limited to one aspect of the broader promise. On October 17, 2025, Prime Minister Mark Carney announced plans to hire 1,000 new Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) officers as part of upcoming budget measures. This initiative aims to bolster security screenings by increasing personnel to address issues such as the movement of stolen goods, illegal guns, and drugs, as well as to enforce import measures and investigate unfair trade practices [1]. Additionally, the government announced an increase in the CBSA recruit stipend from $125 to $525 per week, the first adjustment since 2005, to support recruitment efforts [1].

Beyond this, no documented actions by the Carney government address the other components of the promise. There is no evidence of specific measures to expedite the identification and removal of inadmissible individuals, nor are there updates on tightening visa requirements or enhancing enforcement against immigration fraud. While Bills C-12 and C-2, tabled on November 5, 2025, and June 19, 2025, respectively, relate to border security and immigration system integrity, the lack of confirmed dates and detailed outcomes in the sources prevents attributing these as concrete progress under Carney’s administration at this time [2][3][4][5]. As of March 10, 2026, the scope of action remains narrow, focused solely on increasing resources for security screenings.

Assessment

Five months into Mark Carney’s tenure as Prime Minister, his government has made a tangible start on strengthening border integrity by committing to hire 1,000 new CBSA officers, a move that directly addresses the promise to increase resources for security screenings. This step, announced in October 2025, signals a clear intent to enhance border protection through expanded personnel capacity, a critical piece of the broader pledge. However, the absence of progress on the other components—identifying and removing inadmissible individuals, tightening visa requirements, and combating immigration fraud—underscores that the promise remains far from fully realized.

The hiring initiative, while significant, does not yet translate into operational outcomes, as there is no confirmation that these officers are in place or that screenings have measurably improved. Moreover, the silence on legislative or policy reforms to address visa protocols and fraud enforcement raises questions about the government’s timeline and prioritization of these equally critical areas. For now, Carney’s administration has laid a foundation with a concrete action on resources, but Canadians awaiting a comprehensive overhaul of border integrity will need to see broader and faster movement to match the scope of the original commitment.

Current Status

Background

Evidence

Assessment

Sources