In February 2015, CBC News Toronto investigated the story of a Nigerian priest, Anthony Onyenagada, who, after being charged with the sexual assault of a southwestern Ontario woman in 2004, was able to re-enter Canada without issue nearly a decade later.
The investigation “revealed a major security gap in the way passengers were being screened before being allowed into Canada,” a follow-up article reports. Namely, it found that a majority of visitors to Canada were not screened against the Canadian Police Information Centre (CPIC), a database of criminal records, outstanding arrest warrants, and supplementary information identifying potential risks to residents’ safety. Although the Canadian Border Services Agency (CBSA) had access to CPIC, it was used only for travellers that agents identified as suspicious. Ironically, American border agents have used CPIC to check Canadians attempting to enter the United States for the past 15 years.
If you are planning to visit or move to Canada in the near future and are concerned with border security issues, contact a Nanda & Associate Canadian immigration lawyer today for information about eligibility status and the Canadian immigration process.
In November 2015, thanks in part to the CBC’s investigation, CBSA agents began screening every visitor to Canada at every entry point, and since that time have apprehended more than 3,000 people with outstanding arrest warrants. In the 12 months prior to November 2015, agents apprehended just 556 alleged fugitives.
“Knowing that potentially some other person’s rapist has been caught at the border, or somebody that’s done something terrible to someone else, gives me some comfort,” said the survivor of Onyenagada’s assault, who the CBC has promised not to name. “I think it’s great news for the Canadian people. It’s great something positive has come out of my story.”
Jean Pierre Fortin, National President of the Customs and Immigration Union, agrees.
“It’s sad that this only came because of a terrible situation,” he told the CBC, “but we got a better tool through CPIC to our front-line officers to be able to intervene right away.”
Not only did the CBC’s investigation shed light on a substantial national security issue, it may prove to make life easier for recent immigrants and refugees who have entered the country legally, often with the help of an Canadian immigration lawyer. When the CBSA is able to announce the apprehension of thousands of alleged fugitives, public trust in the safety of the immigration process is likely to rise, especially in turbulent times.
An experienced and reputable Canadian immigration lawyer is vital to you and your family’s efforts to settle in Canada. If you or a member of your family is planning to immigrate to Ontario, contact a Nanda & Associate Canadian immigration lawyer today to discuss the process.
