CBSA NEWS - Canadian Border Services Agency Current News and Stories

The Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) (French: Agence des services frontaliers du Canada - ASFC) is a federal agency who is responsible for border enforcement entering Canada and customs operations at Canadian borders.

CBSA was established on 12 December 2003 (same day Paul Martin became prime minister of Canada), by an order-in-Council brings together Canada Customs (from the now defunct Canada Customs and Revenue Agency) with border and enforcement personnel from the Department of Citizenship and Immigration Canada (CIC) and Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA). The Agency's creation was formalized by the Canada Border Services Agency Act, which received Royal Assent on 3 November 2005. Since September 11, 2001 attacks against the United States, have cross-border activities of Canada made a dramatic new emphasis on national security and public safety. The Canada and the United States Smart Border Declaration, made by John Manley and Tom Ridge, has goals for cooperation between the Canadian and U.S. Border operations.

The CBSA audit of around 1,200 service locations in Canada and 39 other countries. It employs more than 12,000 public employees, and offers around 119 hours of service at land border crossings and thirteen international airports.

The Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA)  shall monitor activities at three major ports and three mail centers, and operates detention facilities in Laval, Toronto, Kingston and Vancouver.

CBSA operates an Inland Enforcement branch, which detects and removes inadmissible foreign nationals. Inland Enforcement Officers are plainclothes units, and are armed with the same gun as the port of Border Services Officers.