ARCHIVED - Canada Border Services Agency

The Standing Committee on Public Accounts conducted a review of Chapter 5 ("Keeping the Border Open and Secure") of the 2007 October Report of the Auditor General of Canada. The Committee tabled its report on February 25, 2009, and made four recommendations:

1. The Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) should provide a status report on the implementation of the audit recommendations by December 31, 2008.

2. The CBSA should include its risk management strategies in its 2008–09 Departmental Performance Report.

3. The CBSA should include the status of its training models in its 2008–09 Departmental Performance Report.

4. The CBSA should review the fees process to ensure no additional charges are levied for random inspections.

The CBSA's response to the Standing Committee on Public Accounts report will be tabled in 2009–10.

The Office of the Auditor General of Canada conducted an audit of the CBSA's management of the detentions and removals programs.

Chapter 7 ("Detention and Removal of Individuals") of the 2008 May Report of the Auditor General of Canada examines the management of detentions and removals by the CBSA and the actions taken since the 2003 audit of Citizenship and Immigration Canada's control and enforcement program. The specific audit objectives were the following:

1. To determine whether there is a clear articulation of accountability between Citizenship and Immigration Canada and the CBSA to support the consistent administration of the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act, and the adequacy of performance reporting for the detention and removal of individuals.

2. To determine whether the Agency consistently manages the detention of individuals in compliance with its policies and standards, and with due regard to economy.

3. To determine whether the CBSA manages the removal of individuals on the basis of risk and in a cost-effective manner.

The audit was tabled in May 2008 and it made three recommendations. The Agency's response is included in the audit report.

The Office of the Auditor General of Canada also conducted an audit on national security. Chapter 1, "National Security: Intelligence and Information Sharing," of its 2009 March status report examines whether the Government of Canada has made satisfactory progress in implementing the recommendation from the 2003 November Report of the Auditor General of Canada, Chapter 10, "Other Audit Observations," ("Independent reviews of security and intelligence agencies"), and in implementing the selected recommendations from the 2004 March Report of the Auditor General of Canada, Chapter 3, "National Security in Canada—The 2001 Anti-Terrorism Initiative."

The audit was tabled in March 2009 and made one recommendation. The Agency's response is included in the audit report.

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