As 2017 draws to close, the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) is highlighting top stories from its operations in Manitoba.
In 2017, CBSA officers at the Emerson port of entry responded to an unprecedented number of asylum seekers. Officers screened all asylum seekers and determined their eligibility to make a claim for asylum in Canada under the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act (IRPA) and the Canada-U.S. Safe Third Country Agreement. All of these individuals were processed efficiently, in a secure, controlled and respectful environment. Eligible claimants have their cases heard by the Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada who makes the final decision whether refugee status is granted.
A significant sentence was rendered in provincial court related to a child pornography smuggling case in Manitoba. On August 28, a 26-year-old Minnesota man was sentenced to 20-months incarceration for attempting to smuggle digital images and videos of child pornography into Canada at the Emerson port of entry on May 27, 2017. The CBSA’s Winnipeg Criminal Investigations unit works closely with the Public Prosecution Service of Canada to prosecute to the full extent of the law those engaging in smuggling prohibited material into Manitoba.
Construction on the Emerson expansion project began in April 2017 and will increase the capacity to process more travellers and goods, thereby reducing border wait times. The commercial facility will be expanded to increase commercial inspection capacity; the traveller inspection garage will be expanded to add a bus processing facility; three new lanes will be added to address both commercial and traveller volumes (one of these lanes will be dedicated for Free and Secure Trade members); finally, one booth will be converted to a modern bi-level booth that can serve both commercial and vehicle traffic. Construction at the Emerson port of entry is anticipated to be completed in the summer of 2018.
“As a professional law enforcement agency, the CBSA in Manitoba is unwavering in its commitment to serve and protect Canadians,” said Yvonne Brémault, Director, Southern Manitoba District, Canada Border Services Agency, Prairie Region. “We take great pride in knowing that by securing the border we are making our communities safer.”
