TOUGHER BORDER MEASURES IN ASYLUM CRACKDOWN.

MAURA FORREST

OTTAWA • Striking a more aggressive tone on irregular asylum seekers, the federal government has promised to prioritize the removal of failed asylum claimants who have crossed the border illegally.

Tuesday’s federal budget commits $1.18 billion over five years to implement a new border enforcement strategy. It provides few details about that strategy, but says it will help border officials “detect and intercept individuals who cross canadian borders irregularly and who try to exploit canada’s immigration system.” Irregular asylum seekers whose refugee claims are denied will also be “removed on a priority basis,” according to budget documents.

With the asylum system currently handling about 50,000 cases per year, that money will also be used to speed up the processing of claims and appeals. The government also plans to expand to Toronto a pilot project launched recently in Montreal that attempts to better share information about asylum claims between agencies involved in the immigration system.

The money is a substantial increase compared to last year, when Ottawa committed just $173 million for the processing of asylum claims. The canada Border Services Agency, Immigration, refugees and citizenship canada and the Immigration and refugee Board will split the bulk of the new money.

A total of 20,600 irregular asylum seekers entered the country in 2017, and another 19,400 in 2018, most crossing on a rural road near Lacolle, Que. About 1,700 people have crossed the border illegally so far this year, though the monthly numbers are substantially lower than they were this time last year.

The conservatives have attacked the government for its response to the issue, accusing the Liberals of not doing enough to “close the loophole” in the Safe Third country Agreement. This year’s budget suggests the government wants to be seen to be taking those concerns seriously, and includes a claim that irregular asylum seekers “have challenged the fairness and effectiveness of canada’s asylum system.”

This year’s budget proposes legislative changes to the Immigration and refugee Protection Act “to better manage, discourage and prevent irregular migration,” though it offers no specifics.

The rcMP, meanwhile, receive $77.3 million over five years, plus an additional $13.5 million on an ongoing basis, for “enhanced law enforcement at the border.”

The government is not focused solely on accelerating the asylum claims system, however, with a further $283 million in spending going to the interim federal health program, which provides health care to asylum seekers and refugees.